USC Coliseum likely choice to house NFL team

Experts speculate that the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will be used as a temporary stadium for the St. Louis Rams should the NFL team move to Los Angeles.

Rams owner Stan Kroenke teamed up with Stockbridge Capital Group, an independent real estate investment firm, to unveil plans to develop 298 acres of land in Inglewood, the site of the former Hollywood Park racetrack. The mixed-use development will feature a world-class stadium that seats 80,000, a 6,000-seat performance venue, alongside retail, office hotel and residential space.

The Rams moved from Southern California to St. Louis at the end of the 1994 season.

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 has been unsuccessful in reaching an agreement as of late. The Rams have the option to become year-to-year tenants at their current home, the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, on Jan. 28.

Kroenke and Stockbridge have stated that the new development in Inglewood would not require public funding, though an Associate Press review has found that the developers expect to recoup nearly $100 million in local tax dollars after the first five years of operation.

Official reports state that it will take roughly two years for a new stadium to be built for the team should they decide to move, thus opening the doors for the Rams to play temporarily either at the Coliseum, home to USC football, or Rose Bowl Stadium, home to UCLA football.

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

“In that lease agreement, there is specific attention paid to the potential temporary return to that venue, it wouldn’t be something that they would have to go back to the state about, its already covered, in other words the possibility was anticipated when the deal was negotiated with USC,” said Los Angeles Police Commissioner President and Price School of Public Policy board member Steve Soboroff.

Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com discussed the potential boost having an NFL team at the Coliseum would be for both the university and its football program.

“One of the things USC tries to do is say ‘Hey, we are your pipeline to the NFL.’ If they can be the home to an NFL football team even for just two seasons, I think that would help them do really well. You’re talking about a kid playing there on Saturday and then being able to go to an NFL game on Sunday. Now that the school is running the Coliseum it would be huge for them too, it would be more dates that they get the stadium full, parking full and concessions full,” Markazi said.

Los Angeles is no stranger to the NFL potentially moving to the area, as numerous teams have used the threat of Los Angeles as a way to gain public financing to build a stadium. The San Diego Chargers are currently going through this phase with the city of San Diego and have also been mentioned as a possible candidate for relocation.

“It does seem its more likely now than it has been in some time. It does seem like the league wants to return, but again, I think anyone who has been covering this or watching this from a far for twenty years, I don’t think we’re really going to believe it until it happens,” Markazi said.

Soboroff, who was instrumental in bringing the Staples Center to downtown Los Angeles added, “I am hopeful that the NFL returns to greater Los Angeles and I think that all the momentum is in the right direction, more so than ever.”

Jake Kelfer, a senior majoring in business administration, noted how some students would feel should an NFL team play at the Coliseum.

“Having an NFL team in Los Angeles would have a positive impact on USC students because it would give students another team to support. It would allow students the chance to attend more football games. Many students come from around the globe at USC and have never seen a professional football game, so this would give them that opportunity. For students that love football, this would provide them an opportunity to attend even more sporting events without having to travel very far,” Kelfer said.

On Jan. 9, former Anheuser-Busch President Dave Peacock and St. Louis attorney Bob Blitz announced a plan for construction of a 64,000-seat NFL stadium that would keep the Rams in St. Louis and open in 2020. The new development plan will cost more than $985 million and has been sent to the Rams and NFL officials.