SoFi Stadium has been the planned host of 2022’s Super Bowl LVI — taking place in February of this year — for multiple years now, since before the stadium was nearing its opening in 2020. However, the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic planted a seed of doubt surrounding the event.
The Los Angeles Rams not only play in a current COVID-19 hotspot, they also play in one of the strictest counties in the country in terms of pandemic-based measures. Because of this, there were rumors that the NFL was potentially looking into alternate sites to play the biggest football game of the calendar year.
Rams Executive Vice President of Football Operations and Chief Operating Officer Kevin Demoff took to Twitter to ensure fans that there would be no location switch despite the rumors:
The @SuperBowl @LASuperBowlHC @LASEC all continue to be hard at work preparing to host an amazing Super Bowl 56 safely @SoFiStadium. We have worked with public health officials to safely host 70k+ fans in our stadium all year and continue to plan to do so for Super Bowl 56. https://t.co/hSQDpfiWvE
— Kevin Demoff (@kdemoff) January 6, 2022
This is absolutely good news for fans of football in the city of L.A. They get to host their first Super Bowl since 1993, when it was played at the Rose Bowl between the Buffalo Bills and Dallas Cowboys.
Not only this, but both L.A. teams — the Rams and Chargers — have legitimate arguments to be made as Super Bowl contenders. The Rams have already clinched an NFC playoff spot and could clinch the NFC West division with a win this Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers.
Meanwhile, the Chargers would clinch a playoff berth with a win against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday night and could also clinch with a tie against the Raiders in a more chaotic scenario. Should they get in, they would be a scary team for any AFC opponent to face.
Having to move the Super Bowl away from L.A. would be a hugely disappointing outcome for all parties involved. And while they could potentially get next year’s game in exchange, the location for the next three Super Bowls after 2022 have already been determined.
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