Los Angeles Rams and Chargers will play their games at SoFi Stadium, it’s just a question of when it is going to open. Even though construction on the project has continued amidst the coronavirus pandemic, a possibility remains a possibility that the stadium won’t open on time.
Rams COO Kevin Demoff acknowledged that this week when speaking to the Los Angeles Times, admitting that he isn’t certain when SoFi Stadium will open.
“Our stadium, and I believe the Raiders’ stadium as well, will both be amazing when they are finished and when they will begin play, which will certainly happen in the near future, whether that’s in July, August, September, in 2021,” Demoff said. “I don’t think you can look at either of these stadiums as short-term projects to finish but rather long-term beacons for the franchises and for the NFL.”
While the preseason doesn’t start until August, the stadium is supposed to open in late July for a Taylor Swift concert. Back in January, when SoFi Stadium was said to be 85% finished, Demoff admitted the timeline and schedule was tight and that was before the coronavirus outbreak.
If construction is halted on the project to further protect the safety of the workers and those in the community, the Rams will have to find contingency plans for the 2020 season. Could that mean going back to the Coliseum until SoFi Stadium is finished? It’s possible.
That’s still a ways out, but with the uncertainty surrounding this entire situation, the Rams, Chargers and Raiders must all have backup plans. For now, work continues, even in an unideal situation for Demoff’s team.
“This is not the time you want to be finishing a stadium, in this environment as you prepare,” Demoff said. “Because it’s when you need to be all hands on deck, walking through the building every day, meeting with your staff, working out the kinks and planning for it. So when you’ve been building something for a few years, you would love an optimal environment to finish it. “
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