Coliseum is likely choice for LA NFL team


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USC officials have spoken with an NFL franchise about the possibility of a new Los Angeles-based team playing at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum while a new football stadium is being built, according to an NBC News.

Since January, experts have speculated that the St. Louis Rams would be leasing the Coliseum. The Rams moved from Southern California to St. Louis at the end of 1994 season.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke,has been lobbying for a new stadium to be built for the team in St. Louis, which he hopes will receive public financing, but he has been unsuccessful in reaching an agreement.

According to NBC News, Athletic Director Pat Haden said that if an NFL team were to move to Southern California, the university would like that team to make the Coliseum its temporary home.

“It doesn’t make much difference if they [NFL] come in 2015 or 2016 in terms of our renovation of the Coliseum because we have a lot of work to do before we start that,” Haden said. “If they come in 2016, great.”

In 2013, USC and the Coliseum entered into a 98-year lease agreement, which allows the school to operate and renovate the landmark structure.

“Our current lease allows for an NFL team to play in the Coliseum temporarily. If we were to receive a proposal, we would review it,” said Thomas Sayles, the senior vice president of university relations, in a statement to the Daily Trojan.

Jonny Farasat, a sophomore majoring in real estate development, noted how Los Angeles is going to change should an NFL team play at the Coliseum.

“I think it would attract a lot of people, more traffic and it’ll bring the city to life. I think it would be a good idea to lease the Coliseum,” Farasat said.  “I think it can have an effect on the USC football schedule but I think if people come together they can coordinate times where there won’t be interruptions.”

George Andrews, a senior majoring in chemistry and accounting, discussed the impact of traffic around the university.

“The first word that comes to mind is congestion. I think of the traffic after living here for about 22 years,” Andrews said. “I immediately think about how bad the traffic is going to be. I think until the city of Los Angeles decides to improve its transportation system, they should not bring another football team or another event downtown where it provides a lot of congestion for people that are trying to commute to work.”