The NFL community was rocked by the recent announcement of the St. Louis Rams relocation to Los Angeles, leaving fans with squandered hopes in their beloved St. Louis team.
The move is not to be taken lightly. On top of a $550 million moving fee, the Rams’ new $2.7 billion Inglewood stadium will be built on a 298-acre plot in Los Angeles, and will include a new building for the NFL Network, a new home for NFL Media and a 6,000-seat theater. While the stadium is being constructed, the team will play in the Coliseum (home to the University of Southern California).
The process of moving the Rams wasn’t easy. There were many different options, a lot of campaigning, votes, and re-votes as well as some persistent persuading in getting 30 out of 32 owners to agree upon the final decision of relocating the team.
It’s been 21 years since Los Angeles has had their own professional football team. Due to this relocation and the new stadium being built, Los Angeles has the potential to become the center of the American sports world.
St. Louis fans have felt the heartbreak of losing professional teams before with the St. Louis Cardinals relocating to Arizona in 1988.
The Rams are not the only team to consider a city change. Oakland Raiders and the San Diego Chargers have also been in the news all season with speculations about possibly switching cities. The Chargers were granted a one-year option to join the Rams in LA or receive a stadium deal in San Diego, while the Rams were approved for immediate re-location.
The NFL’s ultimate decision to relocate the Rams to LA stunned the league, its fans, and its spectators. Los Angeles fans and football enthusiasts alike are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their very own professional football team, a highly-anticipated reality that they’ve clung to for over two decades.