Puppy Bowl XIX will feature 22 puppies from 67 shelters, according to the referee, “They’re all stars.”

This is the three-hour match that everyone will be watching on Sunday: Puppy Bowl XIX. (Did you assume we were talking about Super Bowl LVII?)

The Puppy Bowl, the original and longest-running adoption call television event, returns for its 19th anniversary on Sunday, showcasing more puppies, more shelters and rescues, and more inspiring adoption stories.

Puppy Bowl referee Dan Schachner will return from his 12-year trip-and-fall watch, awarding all penalties and touchdowns for the puppies, while sportscasters Steve Levy and Taylor Rooks return to commentate game after game.

“Puppies will always surprise you,” Schachner told FOX. “Once you think you’ve figured out everything puppies can do in the field, next year comes around and they do something crazy like take a bath in a bowl of water for 10 minutes and you’re like, wow, what a is this a penalty?

Puppy players from Team Ruff and Team Fluff will take to the field at Puppy Bowl Stadium to win the Wayfair “Lombarky” trophy.

“Pups kick field balls, puppies gnaw on a pylon, puppies jump over each other like obstacles to get to the end zone; it’s very, very fun to watch and you have to stay on your toes,” Schachner continued.

In addition to ear tugging, tail tugging, sloppy kissing and puppy punishment, this contest will celebrate the incredible work of rescuers and shelter workers who dedicate their lives to helping animals find their forever home. Puppy Bowl XIX will feature 122 puppies, 67 shelters and shelters in 34 states, and for the first time will feature a Native American animal welfare organization and a pup player from Dominica, West Indies.

Schachner shared his favorite part of hosting a family event: watching a new line-up emerge every year.

“I want to try to tell their backstory, protect them if I can. They all have different stories,” Schachner added.

During the game, viewers will also meet eleven special needs puppy players looking for their forever home, including Julius, a hearing-impaired Dalmatian, Marmalade, a visually and hearing-impaired Border Collie/Australian Cattle Dog; Mykonos, Cleft-Palate American Staffordshire Terrier/Bulldog and others.

Other fan-favorite elements also return, including the Kitty halftime show, the puppy cheer team, the coveted water bowl camera, slow motion camera, and a new behind-the-scenes look at the puppies’ arrival on the red carpet ahead of the game.

“Let’s face it, they’re all stars in their own right,” Schachner shared, adding, “There’s always something new, there’s always something to surprise you.”

You can watch Puppy Bowl XIX on Sunday, February 12 at 2:00 pm ET on Animal Planet with a pre-game show at 1:00 pm ET on game day. For the first time, the family game will be simulcast on Discovery, TBS, Discovery+ and HBO Max.

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The Super Bowl kicks off at 6 PM ET on FOX.