Los Angeles selected to host Super Bowl LV

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The Los Angeles Rams, in conjunction with the cities of Los Angeles and Inglewood, have announced that the Los Angeles-Inglewood area has been selected to host Super Bowl LV (55) in 2021.

In a statement to the media, the Los Angeles Tourism and Convention Board said, “The selection of Los Angeles follows a highly competitive process of which Los Angeles’ bid was led by Casey Wasserman, chairman and chief executive officer of Wasserman, in collaboration with the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission (LASEC) and Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (LATCB), comprising the Los Angeles Super Bowl Bid Committee*.

“In partnership with the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Super Bowl Bid Committee, the nation’s biggest sporting event will be played at the new Rams stadium in the City of Inglewood, set to open in 2019. ”

The successful bid was delivered to all 32 NFL owners in a live presentation in Charlotte today, focusing on the best of Los Angeles, “… diversity, creativity, entertainment – and the city’s history of hosting the world’s biggest sporting events,” like the Olympics, World Cup, All-Star Weekends and more.

In the statement Wasserman said,“We are honored that the NFL is bringing the Super Bowl to Los Angeles in 2021. The League’s selection of Los Angeles is a testament to its commitment to innovation and diversity, and I couldn’t be prouder of our winning bid. Stan Kroenke’s vision for the Rams stadium and the surrounding campus makes Inglewood an ideal venue for staging the Super Bowl of the future, and we look forward to inviting the nation and the world to L.A. for an historic fan experience.”

Kevin Demoff, COO of the Los Angeles Rams, said, “On the heels of the National Football League’s historic return to Los Angeles, the Rams are proud to be part of such a significant regional effort of teamwork, leadership and vision to bring the Super Bowl back to Southern California. We would like to thank the NFL owners for giving us this opportunity to host the nation’s biggest event in sports and entertainment at our world-class stadium, to showcase the great cities of Los Angeles and Inglewood and to deliver an incredible experience for fans from across the globe.”

The announcement included a message from the Mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, and Inglewood, Mayor James Butts. Garcetti said, “Los Angeles is built to host the Super Bowl. We helped forge this great American tradition as its very first host in 1967; and now, at long last, we’re bringing it back where it belongs. L.A. is already welcoming a record number of visitors from around the world, and Super Bowl LV will bring even more economic prosperity to our region — attracting tens of thousands of people to our city and generating hundreds of millions of dollars for local hotels, restaurants, shops and other businesses.”

Mayor Butts’ message: “The City of Inglewood is thrilled to be the host for the most watched, single sporting event in the world, Super Bowl LV. Working with the City of Los Angeles, we intend to help make it the greatest fan experience in the history of the NFL. After a 20 year hiatus, professional football is back.”

The game itself will be held at the Rams’ new stadium in Inglewood, but there will be other events held around the area for the fans and media. The Super Bowl Bid Committee said there are 60,000 hotel room nights available, with the possibility of up to 40,000 more.

The committee will also be responsible for “… raising appropriate funds to offset costs and will work closely with the NFL to deliver the most successful Super Bowl to date in 2021.”

Kathryn Schloessman, president of the Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission said in the announcement, “The greatest sporting event deserves the world’s greatest stage and as the entertainment capital of the world, Los Angeles is ready to deliver a Super Bowl like no destination has ever before. L.A.’s unparalleled platform of diversity and creativity will propel the League’s global expansion.”

The announcement also had a statement from Ernest Wooden Jr., president & CEO of the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board: “By being selected as the host of the 2021 Super Bowl, it’s clear the NFL was tremendously impressed with the many strengths of Los Angeles such as our near-perfect weather, abundance of premier venues for ancillary events, world-class hotels and endless entertainment,” s. “We are appreciative of the true collaborative effort from L.A.’s hospitality businesses and community leadership in securing a successful bid for our destination.”

This will be the eighth time the Super Bowl is played in the Los Angeles region. The first seven Super Bowls:
I: January 15, 1967, at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10
VII: January 14, 1973 at the Los Angeles Coliseum. The Miami Dolphins finished their perfect season with a win over the Washington Redskins, 14-7.
XI: January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Oakland Raiders won, beating the Minnesota Vikings 32-14.
XIV: January 20, 1980, at the Rose Bowl. The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Los Angeles Rams 31-19.
XVII: January 30, 1983 at the Rose Bowl. The Washington Redskins beat the Miami Dolphins 27-17.
XXI: January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl. The New York Giants won, over the Denver Broncos, 39-20.
XXVII: January 31, 1993 at the Rose Bowl. The Dallas Cowboys over the Buffalo Bills, 52-17.

Top photo by Claudia Gestro. Rams fans will be rejoicing over the news.