The NFL has a contingency plan in case it’s unable to play Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles due to COVID-19, or for any other unforeseen reason, and it’s called AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Super Bowl 56 is scheduled for Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which is located just outside the Los Angeles city limits. Los Angeles is a show business town that adheres to the mantra, “The show must go on!â€
All parties involved are adamant about the Super Bowl running as planned at SoFi Stadium, even in the age of COVID. Despite reports that the NFL is seeking alternative venues for the Super Bowl, officials echoed their sentiments that the current focus is on hosting Super Bowl 56 at SoFi Stadium.
“Our plans for Super Bowl week and the game in Los Angeles are moving forward fully. We’re confident in our protocols for putting on full-capacity games safely,” said Peter O’Reilly, an executive with the NFL.
“We’re looking forward to this opportunity to really show off Los Angeles to the rest of the world, and also show that Los Angeles can host safe events, and it’s business as usual,” added Kathy Schloessman from the LA Super Bowl Host Committee.
AT&T Stadium is home to the Dallas Cowboys, and the NFL is willing to use the facility because Texas has very loose (e.g., non-existent) COVID-19 restrictions compared to the state of California.
The Cowboys won the NFC East and secured a home game in the first round of the playoffs.
Home-team Super Bowl?
SoFi Stadium is actually located in the neighborhood of Inglewood in Los Angeles County. It’s the home stadium for both the Los Angeles Rams and LA Chargers. It opened in 2020, but this season was the first year that fans were permitted in the stands.
There’s a possibility that both the Rams and Chargers could qualify for the postseason. The Rams locked up a postseason berth with an inside track to the NFC West division title. The Chargers head to Las Vegas to take on the Raiders in Week 18, with the Raiders as a home dog in a game with major playoff implications slated for Sunday Night Football.
If either the Rams or Chargers go deep, they’ll have a rare treat of playing the Super Bowl on their own turf. The Tampa Bay Bucs won Super Bowl 55 last year on their own field at Raymond James Stadium.
The Green Bay Packers are the consensus favorite to win Super Bowl 56 at +400 odds, according to the Westgate SuperBook in Las Vegas. The Kansas City Chiefs are right behind the Packers at +500 odds to win their second Super Bowl in the last three seasons. Meanwhile, the Rams are +850 odds to win the Super Bowl.