L.A. stadium to have ‘limited or no capacity’ in 2020
Brand-new SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles will have “limited to no capacity” for fans during the 2020 NFL season, the Rams announced in a letter to season ticket holders on Tuesday.
As a result, season tickets “will not be possible” for 2020, and all who purchased stadium seat licenses (SSL) will be deferred to 2021 while getting priority to purchase any 2020 single-game tickets that come available. Any previous single-game tickets purchased or transferred will be canceled.
The news was not unexpected, as the state of California has maintained strict protocols amid a continuing surge of coronavirus cases. Schools is many districts could be limited to online classes this fall, and large gatherings have been disallowed or discouraged for months.
The Rams’ letter also acknowledged the expectation of all preseason games being canceled, which was revealed as the likely result in multiple reports on Monday evening.
Construction on SoFi Stadium, located in Inglewood, Calif., began in November 2016 and was originally scheduled to be complete for the 2019 season, but heavy rains caused delays that pushed it to 2020. The stadium, which will house owner Stan Kroenke’s Rams and the tenant Chargers, is expected to cost around $5 billion, about double the original projection.
In addition to cost overruns, the project has been beset by the death of a construction worker who fell from the roof in June, plus a growing number of positive coronavirus tests. On Friday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health announced a total of 49 workers had tested positive since March, including 16 in the previous week alone.
The Rams are scheduled to play the first home regular-season game at the stadium on Sept. 13, a Sunday night contest against Dallas in Week 1. The Chargers’ home opener is scheduled for Sept. 20 against the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
–Field Level Media
