Super Bowl LX is set to be one of the biggest U.S. sporting events of the year, drawing more than 70,000 fans to Levi's® Stadium and expected to reach more than 100 million viewers at home. With an audience this massive, the pressure is on to deliver a flawless network experience for teams, broadcasters, vendors, and fans both in the stands and watching on television.
Ahead of this year's big game, the Cisco Networking Academy Dream Team spent 10 days installing and configuring critical network infrastructure at Levi's® Stadium.
Their experience kicked off with a meet-and-greet with Costa Kladianos, executive vice president and head of technology for the San Francisco 49ers-and a proud Cisco Networking Academy alumnus. It was a moment that perfectly captured NetAcad's mission: to provide a pathway for students to grow from entry-level learners to industry leaders.
For a massive event like Super Bowl LX, maintaining a secure environment is just as critical as ensuring performance. To guarantee a smooth, uninterrupted game day, Cisco and the NFL have developed the best game plan so that, when the game is on the line, the league, its stakeholders, players, and fans can focus on what's most important: the action on the field.
Working alongside WBL Services engineers, these four San Jose State University students gained hands‑on, real‑world experience. Their work included installing switches, deploying wireless access points, and learning how large‑scale network design supports major connected events.
Throughout their time at Levi's® Stadium, the Dream Team saw firsthand how deeply security is woven into every layer of the network. With the guidance of WBL engineers, the students learned how access controls, network segmentation, and continuous monitoring work together to protect critical systems during high‑profile events. They also gained an appreciation for how even small configuration details can play a significant role in keeping data and devices secure.
As game day approaches, meet the students who brought this experience to life and see the impact it had on each of them.
"My overall favorite experience from participating on Dream Team was finally being able to put everything I'd learned into real practice. After completing certifications, spending countless hours in NetAcad, and working through virtual labs in Packet Tracer, it felt amazing to troubleshoot, design, deploy, access consoles, and use Cisco's proprietary equipment to actually make things work. And doing it all for something as huge as the Super Bowl made it even more special. But honestly, the best part was the personal confirmation: I truly love what I do and really enjoy working in network support."-Walter
"We made sure everything was able to talk to each other. We learned about the fiber that everything runs on. We went from the IDF (Intermediate Distribution Frame) back to the MDF (Main Distribution Frame), making sure everything connects and that the signal runs all the way down."-Harold
"My favorite experience in participating on the Dream Team was travelling to various sites with both the students and WBL Services Network Engineers to complete installs. It was a very prep-heavy task that called for detail-orientation, analyzing needed materials, and coordination. Being a member of the Dream Team fostered my hands-on career growth from working in the networking field. A majority of the curriculum I learn, though educational, is most effective when given a practice where you get to work with equipment firsthand."-Allyson
"I had an awesome time working on the Super Bowl Dream Team. We deployed switches in the IDFs and did a lot of cabling for those switches, connecting them back to the MDF. It was so cool because I've never had the opportunity to be in one, let alone be allowed to do patching. I'm so grateful for this opportunity and wish I could stay and continue working with-and learning from-the engineers at WBL Services. I just had so much fun and learned a tremendous amount!"-Krishma
Together, these students brought dedication, curiosity, and willingness to learn in a high‑pressure, real‑world environment. As Super Bowl LX kicks off, their work will be woven into every connection made in the stadium, and their experience here will carry forward into the careers they're now ready to build.
To learn more about the Dream Team, visit the Dream Team page on the Cisco Networking Academy website.