Aerial photo of the Inglewood, California construction site.

Image Credit: Brendan C (CC BY 2.0)

The Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers were slated to open the 2019 NFL season at their new 70,000 seat stadium in Inglewood, California. However, long rains have complicated the excavation process at the stadium site, thus, delaying construction. Between November 2016 and February 2017, the area received nearly 16 inches of rainfall; double the normal amount of annual rainfall. The stadium will open in time for the 2020 NFL season.

The stadium was also slated to host the Super Bowl LV in 2021. However, the National Football League does not allow teams to host Super Bowls during the stadium’s first year in existence. US Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings, will host the Super Bowl in 2018 after opening at the beginning of the 2016 NFL season. The Rams will play their home games for the next three seasons at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the team’s former home. The Chargers will play their homes for the next three seasons at the Stubhub Center in Carson, California. For three seasons, the Stubhub Center will be the smallest stadium in the National Football League and will offer Chargers fans a very intimate fan experience with only 30-35,000 seats for home games.

According to Kevin Demoff, the COO of the Los Angeles Rams, having two teams occupying the stadium made construction more difficult to complete in time. Had only one team been occupying the stadium, it would have been likely been completed in time for the 2019 NFL season. Construction was originally scheduled to begin in January of 2017 but was delayed until March of 2017. The Los Angeles Rams organization are currently courting AT&T for the naming rights to the stadium. The Rams are currently asking for a $600 million commitment over a period of 20 years.

The Los Angeles Clippers are also considering building an arena adjacent to the new football stadium in Inglewood. The Clippers currently play second fiddle to both the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings at the Staples Centers and would like their own arena. How the organization plans to pay for it’s construction is another issue completely.

 

Reference:

NBCSports.com 

 

 

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