Construction continues at SoFi Stadium, even as positive coronavirus cases have popped up at the site. And Rams COO Kevin Demoff continues to be optimistic that the stadium will be completed in time, even as he acknowledges the possibility that may not happen.
“This is not the time you want to be finishing a stadium, in this environment as you prepare,” Demoff said, via Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times. “Because it’s when you need to be all hands on deck, walking through the building every day, meeting with your staff, working out the kinks and planning for it. So when you’ve been building something for a few years, you would love an optimal environment to finish it.”
The environment is anything but optimal for finishing the stadium in time for its July 25 opening, a Taylor Swift concert, followed by the 2020 preseasons and regular seasons for the Rams and Chargers.
“Our stadium, and I believe the Raiders’ stadium as well, will both be amazing when they are finished and when they will begin play, which will certainly happen in the near future, whether that’s in July, August, September, [or] in 2021,” Demoff said. “I don’t think you can look at either of these stadiums as short-term projects to finish but rather long-term beacons for the franchises and for the NFL.”
He’s right, but if the stadiums aren’t ready and if the Rams, Chargers, and Raiders will be playing games in 2020, they’ll need to make other arrangements. Which could be the least of the problems the NFL may be dealing with as this craziest of years continues.