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Only one route for NFL temporary stadium: Coliseum

NFLAt the end of the day, operators of only one venue — USC, managers of the L.A. Coliseum — responded to a request for an NFL temporary stadium while a new stadium is built somewhere in the region.

The NFL had sent RFPs to operators of five venues — Coliseum, Rose Bowl, StubHub Center, Angel Stadium and Dodger Stadium — and received only a single response from the USC athletic department, which operates the classic facility. It’s not a surprise that the MLB and MLS teams declined to respond, but it is surprising that Rose Bowl operators passed as well: adding an NFL team, even temp

There is one limitation: per its contract, USC can only offer the Coliseum for use by one NFL team. But this isn’t expected to impact the relocation talks scheduled for next week: the Raiders and Chargers could hold off on a move to a new Carson stadium if there’s no temporary facility. From the Los Angeles Times:

The league sees this more as an inconvenience than something that would dictate the outcome of who would eventually move. The tail — in this case the availability of temporary venues — will not wag the dog here.

It has caused the NFL to consider some unorthodox possibilities if two teams were to simultaneously relocate, such as the Raiders relocating but continuing to play their games in Oakland while a new stadium were being built in Carson, or playing in San Antonio, or perhaps spending a month in London until a baseball stadium were to become available.

In any case, the next two weeks should be fascinating on the NFL relocation front.

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August Publications