In a bit of bad news for NFL fans in Southern California, the opening of a new state-of-the-art stadium in Inglewood for the Rams and Chargers has been delayed until the 2020 season.
According to the the Los Angeles Times, the delay has to do with the unusually high level of rainfall in Southern California during the construction of the stadium itself.
“The continuing rains really knocked us for a loop,” Bob Aylesworth, principal in charge for the Turner/AECOM Hunt joint venture that is building the stadium, told The Times. “It was a very unforgiving two months for the project. And speaking from a building perspective, it really couldn’t have come at a worse time.”
The $2.6 billion venue was set to open in time for the 2019 season. Unfortunately, this means that the Rams will be forced to play at the Los Angeles Coliseum for one more season.
Meanwhile, the recently-relocated Chargers will now have to play at the smallish StubHub center in Carson for three seasons instead of two.
There’s no indication one way or another how this will impact Los Angeles’ ability to host any upcoming Super Bowls. The NFL had awarded the Super Bowl in 2021 to Inglewood. League rules state a stadium cannot host the big game during its first season in use.
Considering the delay is only until 2020, that likely won’t be a major issue. Any further delays would surely lead to the NFL having to find another host city.
This also means that the Rams and Chargers will open up their new digs the same season as the Raiders relocate to Las Vegas. Exciting times for west coast football fans, indeed.