The Black Eyed Peas at the Super Bowl rumors are confirmed

An unnamed source has reportedly confirmed to the Dallas Morning News that the rumors that first began swirling in September: the Black Eyed Peas will perform at Cowboys Stadium in February, as the half-time entertainment for Super Bowl XLV.

Thanks to a slip of the tongue by a NFL official at a briefing at Cowboys Stadium this morning, the worst-kept secret about next year's Super Bowl has been confirmed. As reported by the Star-Telegram's Kathy Vetter, who was in attendance at this morning's briefing, "a league credentialing official joked about the Peas, reviving the talk. As he described all the traffic expected around the field at halftime, the official mentioned all the children who usually participate in the extravaganzas. Organizers call them 'snowflakes,' he said. But this year, he said, they are referred to as 'Peapods.'"

The NFL, which has yet to make an official announcement of any kind about the half-time show, had no comment. "We haven’t made any announcement and won’t comment until we do," said the NFL's Brian McCarthy.

The band's publicist referred all queries to the NFL.

Typically, the performer(s) isn't announced until around Thanksgiving, so expect an official confirmation of the names of the performer and/or band in just a couple weeks.

The Black Eyed Peas, who performed at American Airlines Center in Dallas in March, are one of most formidable commercial acts in modern pop music, having sold more than 35 million albums worldwide. The charismatic foursome of will.i.am, Fergie, apl.de.ap and Taboo have also won six Grammy Awards and sold 21 million singles worldwide.

If the Peas play Super Bowl XLV, it would mark a more contemporary choice for the NFL and a departure from the last five years of classic rockers at halftime: The Who, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, The Rolling Stones and Paul McCartney.

The Peas' relationship with the NFL extends back to 2005, when the group performed, along with Charlie Daniels, John Fogerty, Gretchen Wilson and others, at the Super Bowl XXXIX pre-game concert in Jacksonville, Fla. The Peas also performed at last year's NFL kickoff concert in Pittsburgh.