The Puppy Bowl Is Coming Back With A *Very* Cute Addition For 2021

While the Super Bowl might look a little different this year due to the ongoing pandemic, rest assured that your favorite furry contestants are still heading back to the field. With Super Bowl Sunday just a few weeks away, you might be wondering: When is the 2021 Puppy Bowl? Here's what to know about the year's most adorable face-off that will stay in line with tradition on the day of the big game.

When fans tune into the 2021 Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 7, they'll have already seen the cutest action in all of sports. That's right, the Puppy Bowl is back, and you can pre-game the big game with two hours of competitions between Team Ruff and Team Fluff on Feb. 7. The event will air for its 16th year in a row on Animal Planet and stream on the network’s new platform, Discovery+, starting at 2 p.m. ET. Animal Planet will also be airing a live "puppy playtime scrimmage" on its TikTok account right before the game, giving you the chance to see every pup's personality in action before he or she hits the field.

As always, all the furry contestants will be on the lookout for their forever homes, and you can go through a standard adoption process to bring home the Most Valuable Pup who captures your heart during the game.

In the lineup, there will be 70 puppy players from 22 different shelters and rescues competing compared to the 93 in last year's game. In addition to tuning in to watch the pups' furry antics as they compete for the "Lombarkey" trophy, dog lovers will also be treated to additional cuteness as Animal Planet will be introducing puppy cheerleaders this year (!!!) for the very first time.

Viewers will also be able to adopt members from the canine cheer squad, who will root on their favorite players "by shaking their pom poms," giving you an extra incentive to keep an eye on the sidelines during the various competitions for a performance-stealing doggo.

Judging by a teaser trailer Animal Planet released on Jan. 6, you can expect the same antics you know and love from previous games and, of course, plenty of treats to reward every good boy. This year, the company will also be offering a Wisdom Panel dog DNA test that will reveal how "each dog’s breed mix might give them an advantage on the field," giving them their very own "stats" before they even start playing. You can also keep an eye out for the Senior Spotlight profiles on older dogs and "Pup Close and Personal" segments that'll air on the big day.

With just weeks to go, make sure to mark your calendar for Sunday, Feb. 7 at 2 p.m. in order to witness the cutest competition in all of sports.