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The basics:

• Giants launch season-long celebration of 1986 Super Bowl team
• Oct. 4 game vs. Cardinals to feature on-field tribute ceremony
• Starter presents ’86 Championship Capsule apparel collection
• Programming includes alumni events, content series, fan activations

The New York Giants will honor the 40th anniversary of its 1986 Super Bowl XXI championship team with a season-long celebration. The 2026 festivities will feature alumni events and fan activations, as well as a marquee game-day tribute at MetLife Stadium.

Presented by Starter, the initiative includes a commemorative anniversary logo, exclusive content, a retail collection (the ’86 Championship Capsule) and a slate of events highlighting one of the most iconic teams in franchise history.

The centerpiece comes Oct. 4, when the Giants host the Arizona Cardinals in a dedicated 1986 Championship Celebration Game.

That day will feature a pregame Legends Walk-In, an on-field halftime ceremony honoring members of the championship roster, and a Mark Bavaro bobblehead giveaway for the first 25,000 fans.

Throughout the season, the team will also roll out a digital storytelling series along with additional fan experiences tied to the 1986 title run. Meanwhile, the championship-themed apparel line will include original Super Bowl locker room gear, iconic satin jackets, and other sideline pieces worn by players and stuff during the season.

“This anniversary is about honoring a team that defined Giants football and delivered one of the most dominant championship runs in NFL history,” said Giants President and CEO John Mara. “We look forward to celebrating these Legends while giving our fans unique opportunities to relive and connect with that unforgettable season.”

Looking back, and ahead

Giants Ring of Honor member and linebacker on that championship team Carl Banks is also chairman of GIII Sports/Starter. He said the commemorative collection captures the identity of that era.

“I have a personal connection to both this anniversary and capsule collection. That championship team was built on toughness, grit, and determination,” Banks said. “This capsule brings back that championship feeling and celebrates the players, coaches and fans who made it happen.”

Watch

• Relive the 1986 Giants championship season here.

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• NJBIZ sat down with Giants legend Phil Simms to talk business, broadcasting – and life in NJ. Read our interview here.

The team will also air a content series throughout the season. It will feature legendary players and key moments from the 1986 run, along with additional community events and a trophy tour across the Tri-State area.

The celebration unfolds alongside a franchise reset under head coach John Harbaugh.

The Giants hired Harbaugh earlier this year on a five-year deal, after parting ways with former coach Brian Daboll.

Harbaugh brings a Super Bowl-winning résumé and is tasked with restoring structure and competitiveness to the franchise. He inherits a reshaped roster that includes key free-agent additions Isaiah Likely and Tremaine Edmunds, along with first-round draft picks Arvell Reese and Francis Mauigoa, joining a young core headlined by quarterback Jaxson Dart, wide receiver Malik Nabers, running backs Cam Skattebo and Tyrone Tracy, offensive tackle Andrew Thomas, and edge rushers Brian Burns and Abdul Carter.

Together, the anniversary celebration and roster overhaul mark a defining season for the franchise as it looks to reconnect its championship past with a retooled foundation for the future.

More information can be found at Giants.com/1986.