SoFi Stadium gets Super Bowl LVI makeover
INGLEWOOD, Calif. (FNN) — SoFi Stadium opened up for the first official media event leading up to Super Bowl LVI Tuesday. The new home of the Los Angeles Rams, only 48 hours before, hosted the divisional playoff.
The new NFC Champions Los Angeles Rams will host the Cincinnati Bengals, AFC Champions at the Rams’ home stadium for Super Bowl LVI on February 13.
SoFi Stadium’s Super Bowl LVI redesign wasn’t yet complete Tuesday, but will be soon. Photo: Jamecia Stoudemire/FNN News Los Angeles.
FNN spoke to NFL Senior Director of Events Katie Keenan about the preparations underway and working with the City of Los Angeles and the Host Committee. “It’s been tremendous, that team is so experienced running events here in Los Angeles, those folks know the city so well and have been great partners connecting us to the right people and have given us great support the last couple years,” Keenan said.
Front and center of everyone’s thoughts were safety protocols at one of the world’s largest single-day sporting events. Keenan continued, “We have been working closely with the L.A. County Health Department on all the protocols for the game, so it will be just like it was for the NFC Championship, fans will have to show proof of vaccination or proof of a negative test to access the building and masks will be enforced inside the building on game day.”
For the second year in a row the host city, selected years in advance, made it to the Super Bowl, and will have home field advantage. Keenan spoke about the excitement that creates. “Two years in a row, the home team [plays for title]–it’s never happened before. It just makes it even more exciting to have a hometown team in the game.”
To add more excitement to the game, the NFL booked L.A. music legends Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Eminem, Hip Hop hitmaker Kendrick Lamar, as well as Mary J. Blige, the Queen of Hip Hop Soul, for the halftime show.
FNN spoke to NFL Field Director Ed Mangan about the challenges of preparing for the Super Bowl. “You start this process 2-3 years out with the logistics and planning to put all this together. You can’t just focus on one thing, you have to be prepared for all of it there are so many different avenues that have to come together, thousands of people that product on Sunday.”
The conference final just having been played on the field Sunday paused the preparations, but by the look of things, and Mangan’s confidence in his crew, SoFi Stadium will be ready. The teams are almost ready, the city is bouncing with excitement, and FNN Sports is ready to share all the details with you as the big game approaches.
70,000 souls are expected at the multi-billion dollar SoFi Stadium.
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Erik Leibin is a sports reporter for FNN News TV and Florida National News. He is former soccer player and former sports analyst for NBC. | sports@floridanationalnews.com