The latest hurdle to secure a team to the Los Angeles area is the attempt to find a temporary stadium in Southern California until a permanent facility is built.
The NFL has officially sent requests to venues in Los Angeles to provide proposals for housing potential teams on a temporary basis (via the Los Angeles Times).
Possible sites originally included the Coliseum, located in downtown Los Angeles, and the Rose Bowl. It’s now being reported that Dodger Stadium and Angel Stadium might very well be in the mix. A 27,000-seat venue known as the StubHub Center is also in play (via NFL.com).
The NFL did not put a deadline on the proposals, but indicated it wants to have something to present at a special owner’s meeting scheduled for August in Chicago. It’s the likely goal of the league to review all possible locations ahead of the meeting.
Competing stadium plans include one set forth by St. Louis Rams owner Stan Kroenke in Inglewood. Completion of that venue is expected in 2018. The Carson project, which includes both the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers, is expected to be completed by 2019. The NFL is currently working on a solution solely for the 2016 season, at which point an extension of a year-by-year lease at a temporary venue would likely take place.
Regarding potential NFL relocation to Southern California, it will all boil down to which temporary location(s) offer the least conflict with logistics and scheduling moving forward. That’s why the NFL wants these proposals in hand relatively soon.
Photo: USA Today Sports