Super Bowl LVI is just over a month away with the final week of the NFL regular season upon us, but it appears there remains some uncertainty regarding the expected host site of SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Sports reporter Arash Markazi shared Wednesday that the NFL is looking at possible alternate venues, including AT&T Stadium in Dallas, the the home of the Cowboys, given that California extended its indoor mask mandate from Jan. 15 to Feb. 15 due to an uptick in COVID-19 cases. The Super Bowl is scheduled for Feb. 13.
The Associated Press has confirmed the contingency plans, as published by ESPN.
“Super Bowl LVI is still scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium but the NFL is actively monitoring the spread of the Omicron variant and the rising number of hospitalizations here,” Markazi tweeted. “Officials from the NFL, Rams, Chargers and city are scheduled to meet next week at SoFi Stadium.”
The full Super Bowl experience, of course, is much more than Sunday’s four-hour event where a capacity of 70,000 could flock to SoFi Stadium, the home of both the Rams and Chargers.
There reportedly was 200,000 visitors when Miami hosted Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium and 150,000 out-of-state visitors when Atlanta hosted Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both of those venues, however, hosted Super Bowls before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This isn’t just about a mask mandate. Super Bowl week is larger than just the game,” Markazi tweeted. “There are currently 1,800 out of state medical personnel helping understaffed hospitals handle the Omicron surge, according to CA HHS Secretary Mark Ghaly. The NFL is monitoring all of this.”
The Associated Press quoted NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy, who confirmed the league is planning for everything to continue as currently scheduled.
“As part of our standard contingency planning process that we conduct for all regular and postseason games, we have contacted several clubs to inquire about stadium availability in the event we cannot play the Super Bowl as scheduled due to weather-related issues or unforeseen circumstances,” McCarthy said, per ESPN. “Our planning process for the Super Bowl in Los Angeles is ahead of schedule and we look forward to hosting the Super Bowl there to culminate another fantastic NFL season for our fans and clubs.”
