NFL looking for alternate Super Bowl sites amid omicron surge

The NFL is considering alternate stadiums for this year’s Super Bowl, as Covid-19 cases surge across the United States.

This year’s Super Bowl will take place in Los Angeles at the SoFi stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. While it is normal to have backup options for the event, the NFL is looking for other potential sites as restrictions for indoor events are increasing in California.

“We plan on playing Super Bowl 56 as scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13,” said NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy. “As part of our standard contingency planning process that we conduct for all regular and postseason games, we have contacted several clubs to inquire about stadium availability in the event we cannot play the Super Bowl as scheduled due to weather-related issues or unforeseen circumstances.”

“Our planning process for the Super Bowl in Los Angeles is ahead of schedule and we look forward to hosting the Super Bowl there to culminate another fantastic NFL season for our fans and clubs.”

The AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of the Dallas Cowboys, is one of the potential alternate sites for the bowl, reported the Associated Press. The AT&T stadium hosted the 2021 Rose Bowl due to Covid-19 restrictions in California, where the contest is usually held.

Los Angeles officials claim they are committed to making sure the event goes forward without any major disruptions. “I want to be clear, the Super Bowl is coming to Los Angeles,” said California’s Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly.

“I know L.A. County is closely in contact with the NFL to make sure that strategies are put in place to ensure that people can enjoy this important event while making sure that we put things in place that allow COVID mitigation to be an important feature of the approach to that game that is just over a month away,” Ghaly said.