In response to the wildfires that are ongoing around the Los Angeles area, Monday’s playoff matchup against the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams is being moved to Arizona, the league announced in a statement on Thursday evening. Specifically, the game will be held in Glendale at State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals.
“In the interest of public safety, Monday’s Vikings-Rams Wild Card game has been moved from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA to State Farm Stadium, the home of the Arizona Cardinals,” the league’s statement reads. “The decision was made in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs, and the NFLPA.”
The announcement adds that the game will be played at its previously schedule time of 8 p.m. ET and will air on ESPN and ABC. Meanwhile, tickets are slated to go on sale at 10 a.m. local time (1 p.m. ET) on Friday morning through SeatGeek.com for Rams season ticket holders and will be released to the general public at noon local time (3 p.m. ET).
Monday’s playoff matchup was slated to be held at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, but the fires that have engulfed Los Angeles County and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate their homes now has the NFL pivoting to a safer location.
This is a pivot from what the Rams noted earlier on Thursday, saying in a statement that the game was on schedule to be played at SoFi Stadium. In what he called a “unique week,” Rams coach Sean McVay said the team was moving with “the full expectation” that the game would go on as originally scheduled.
While the NFL has moved games in the past due to extreme weather, this is unprecedented for the playoffs. According to CBS Research, this will be the first non-Super Bowl postseason game played at a neutral site in the Super Bowl era.
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