After a 21 season hiatus, the NFL will be returning to the City of Angels.
NFL owners approved a plan on Tuesday to allow the Rams to relocate to LA and build a stadium in Inglewood, CA while also giving an option to the Chargers to possibly join them, according to multiple outlets including Judy Battista of NFL Network. This comes after both these teams, in addition to the Oakland Raiders, had submitted applications to move to L.A. on January 4th. The decision required at least three-quarters of the league’s owners to vote in favor of it.
Where we are: Rams for sure to Inglewood, Chargers with option to join them. very close to the conclusion here.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) January 13, 2016
Sounds like the #Raiders have bowed out. It's #Rams and #Chargers, with details and timing being worked out. In Inglewood
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 13, 2016
Report: Rams to Los Angeles, Chargers Likely To Follow
The decision comes after two competing stadium proposals were considered by the owners.
The first of these was a project in Carson, CA that had the support of both Raiders owner Mark Davis and Chargers owner Dean Spanos. There was a report from the Los Angeles Times that this proposal had been approved by the Committee on L.A. Opportunities, a six-person panel among the owners that included John Mara (Giants), Jerry Richardson (Panthers), Art Rooney (Steelers), Clark Hunt (Chiefs), Bob Kraft (Patriots) and Bob McNair (Texans).
But the proposal that would ultimately prove most attractive to league owners was brought forth by Rams owner Stan Kroenke. His submission focused on a 300-acre project in Inglewood, CA that would not only include an NFL-caliber stadium but also a variety of entertainment, retail and office space. Kroenke’s project did carried a certain “wow” factor and, according to Rapoport, will include a theater that could potentially host a future NFL Draft.
Assuming owners approve it, Inglewood stadium is expected to open in 2019, not 2018 as originally planned. 30 months too tight a timeline.
— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) January 13, 2016
The Inglewood proposal reportedly received more votes than Carson in the initial round of voting by the owners. The option under consideration was having the Rams and an unnamed team (either the Chargers or Raiders) move there. Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones had been a vocal proponent of this project, with the Chargers joining the Rams. But Chargers owner Dean Spanos initially had “zero interest,” according to USA Today.
Late in the day, NFL Network reporter Judy Battista had indicated that a majority of the owners were opposed to having the Raiders move to LA. That seemed to pave the way for Kroenke’s Inglewood project. Apparently, the Chargers had been the preferred team over the Raiders to join the Rams at a potential new stadium in the Inglewood area.
there is strong opposition to the Raiders in LA among owners, I am told.
— Judy Battista (@judybattista) January 12, 2016
Despite the fact the Raiders have been rebuffed in their attempts to return to the Los Angeles market, commissioner Roger Goodell is apparently open to a variety of ways the team could be compensated. If the Raiders decide to move to a city other than L.A., the league may allow them to do so at a reduced or even waived relocation fee. There is also reportedly a $500 million shortfall between the cost of a new stadium in Oakland and how much the team is able to contribute, an amount the NFL may be willing to cover.
It remains to be seen what temporary venue will be used during the construction of the new stadium in Inglewood. The most likely possibility would be the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which hosted the Raiders from 1982-94. Another option that has reportedly been discussed is StubHub Center in Carson where Major League Soccer’s Los Angeles Galaxy currently play.
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