The Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) is the State Department bureau that runs U.S. public diplomacy exchange programs—academic, cultural, professional and sports exchanges—to build people‑to‑people ties and mutual understanding with other countries. ECA manages programs (e.g., Fulbright, Sports Envoy, Global Sports Mentoring, Sports Visitor Program) and partners with NGOs and leagues to deliver exchanges, grants, and international sports diplomacy activities that support U.S. foreign policy objectives.
Sarah B. Rogers is the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs (sworn in October 2025). In this partnership she signed the memorandum of understanding on behalf of the State Department and, in her role overseeing public diplomacy (including ECA), is responsible for implementing and coordinating the State’s side of the sports‑diplomacy initiatives.
In practice, sports diplomacy uses athletes, coaches and sports programs (clinics, exchanges, envoys, watch parties) to create people‑to‑people ties, change perceptions, and promote U.S. values (e.g., inclusion, leadership, empowerment). Those activities—short exchanges, Sports Envoys, local clinics and events—are designed to reach new audiences, build relationships, and advance U.S. foreign‑policy goals such as mutual understanding and youth engagement.
The State Department press release and the NFL announcement describe “support” and program collaboration but do not disclose any financial terms or direct funding amounts; the publicly released MOU text and statements do not specify NFL payments to the State Department or embassies.
The announcement says current and former NFL players and coaches will be “leveraged as cultural ambassadors,” but it does not specify whether they will be paid or be given an official diplomatic title. Selection and compensation details were not published in the State Department or NFL statements; normally Sports Envoys are recruited by ECA and compensation/terms vary by program and agreement.
Coordination for international NFL games typically involves the NFL, the host country’s government and local organizers; the MOU signals cooperation but does not change host‑country approvals. Games abroad require stadium, local permits, security, visas, customs, and coordination with U.S. embassies/consulates for logistics and outreach—roles ECA and post‑embassies can support, while sovereign host governments and the NFL handle legal/operational approvals.
The MOU highlights support for flag‑football clinics and involvement around LA28 but provides no detailed program plan. In practice, such programs would involve embassy‑led clinics, athlete envoys, and local youth outreach to introduce flag football, deliver coaching clinics, and run community events tied to LA28; exact program structure and athlete/host selection were not specified publicly.
The State Department said it will host 150 Super Bowl‑related events in more than 65 countries, but did not publish a list of specific embassies or explain the selection criteria in the public announcement.