SoFi Stadium facts for kids
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SoFi Stadium in 2023
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 SoFi Stadium
Location in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
SoFi Stadium
Location in California
SoFi Stadium
Location in the United States
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| Address | 1001 South Stadium Drive |
| Location | Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| Coordinates | 33°57′11″N 118°20′20″W / 33.953°N 118.339°W |
| Public transit |
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| Owner | StadCo LA, LLC (a Kroenke Sports & Entertainment company) Hollywood Park Land Company, LLC (a joint venture of The Flesher Group and Stockbridge Capital Group) |
| Operator | StadCo LA, LLC |
| Executive suites | 260 |
| Capacity | 70,240 (expandable up to 100,240 for major events) |
| Acreage | 298 acres (121 ha) Whole Complex |
| Surface | Artificial (Matrix Turf) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | November 17, 2016 |
| Built | 2016–2020 |
| Opened | September 8, 2020 |
| Construction cost | $5–6 billion (estimated, including development)($5.65 billion-6.78 billion in 2022 dollars ) |
| Architect | HKS, Inc. |
| Project manager | Legends Global Planning |
| Structural engineer | Walter P Moore Engineers and Consultants |
| Services engineer | Henderson Engineers, Inc. |
| General contractor | Turner/AECOM HuntJV |
| Tenants | |
| Los Angeles Rams (NFL) (2020–present) Los Angeles Chargers (NFL) (2020–present) LA Bowl (NCAA) (2021–present) Major League Wiffle Ball World Series (2022) |
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SoFi Stadium ( SOH-fy) is a 70,240-seat sports and entertainment indoor-outdoor stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California, United States. SoFi occupies the former site of the Hollywood Park Racetrack, 0.15 miles (0.24 km) southeast of Kia Forum and 0.2 miles (0.32 km) northwest of Intuit Dome, and 3 miles (4.8 km) from Los Angeles International Airport.
The stadium complex is a component of Hollywood Park, a master planned neighborhood in development on the site of the former racetrack. Hollywood Park Casino re-opened in a new building on the property in October 2016, becoming the development's first establishment to open.
Opened in September 2020, the fixed-roof stadium is home to the National Football League (NFL)'s Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, as well as the annual LA Bowl in college football. SoFi Stadium is one of two stadiums currently shared by a pair of NFL teams, the other being MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, shared by the New York Giants and New York Jets. It is the first stadium complex outside of the New York metropolitan area to host two NFL teams concurrently; the other three since the 1970 AFL–NFL merger have been Shea Stadium, Giants Stadium and MetLife Stadium.
In North American professional sports, it is the fourth stadium complex in Greater Los Angeles shared by more than one team from the same league. The other venues have been Crypto.com Arena, which has hosted both of the city's National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers, since 1999 (although this arrangement will end by 2024); Dignity Health Sports Park, which is home to Major League Soccer (MLS)'s LA Galaxy and the now-defunct Chivas USA from 2005 to 2014; and Dodger Stadium, which was shared by Major League Baseball (MLB)'s Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels from 1962 to 1965.
The stadium hosted Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 9, 2023, WrestleMania 39 on April 1–2, 2023, and the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup final on July 16, 2023. It is scheduled to host multiple matches of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl LXI in 2027, and the opening and closing ceremonies (as well as soccer and archery events) of the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Design
SoFi Stadium was designed by HKS and consists of the stadium itself, a pedestrian plaza, and a performance venue. Above the stadium is an independently supported translucent canopy which covers the stadium proper, the adjacent pedestrian plaza, and the attached performance venue. The million-square-foot canopy is made up of 302 ETFE panels, 46 of which can be opened to provide ventilation, supported by a cable net. The canopy has 27,000 embedded LED pucks, which can display images and video that can also be seen from airplanes flying into Los Angeles International Airport. The stadium bowl has open sides and seats 70,240 spectators for most events, with the ability to expand by 30,000 seats for larger events. Despite the roof, the open sides of the stadium still make it vulnerable to lightning delays, with the first such delay in an NFL game between the Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders on October 4, 2021. The attached music and theatre venue, known as the YouTube Theater, has a capacity of 6,000 seats. The stadium and performance center are considered to be separate facilities under one roof.
Another component of the stadium's design is the Infinity Screen by Samsung, an ovular, double-sided 4K HDR video board, the first of its kind, that is suspended from the roof over the field. Formerly known as "the Oculus" before a name change, the structure weighs 2.2 million pounds (1,000 t) and displays 80 million pixels. The Infinity Screen also houses the stadium's 260-speaker audio system, as well as 56 5G wireless antennas.
Outdoor sports in California are usually played on grass due to the state's highly favorable climate. However, a grass field is very difficult to maintain to an acceptable standard when it is used by more than one gridiron football team. Because SoFi Stadium was intended from the outset to be used by two NFL teams, the designers opted not to install a natural playing surface. The stadium joined California Memorial Stadium as the only major sports facilities in California currently in use to have artificial turf installed.
Awards
SoFi Stadium has won a number of industry awards for its design, including, but not limited to:
- "Stadium of the Year" in StadiumDB's Jury Award.
- "Outstanding Architectural Engineering Project" of 2021 by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
- The "Excellence in Action" Award to West Basin Municipal Water District (West Basin), the City of Inglewood, and other project partners for the SoFi Stadium Recycled Water Project.
- Steel Winner in Tekla's North America BIM Awards
Naming
On September 15, 2019, it was announced that the San Francisco-based financial services company SoFi had acquired the naming rights to the new stadium under a 20-year deal valued at over $30 million per-year, a record for any naming rights for a sports venue. The company became an official partner of both the Rams and the Chargers, as well as a partner of the performance venue and surrounding entertainment district.
The covered open space formerly known as Champions Plaza between the playing field and the performance venue within the stadium was officially named American Airlines Plaza, as the airline has a hub at nearby LAX. The airline was named the first founding partner on August 6, 2019.
The performance venue was officially named YouTube Theater (the company is based in San Bruno) on June 28, 2021.
For the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the stadium will be temporarily renamed to "Los Angeles Stadium" in accordance with FIFA's policy on corporate-sponsored names. Likewise, for the 2028 Summer Olympics, the stadium will also be temporarily renamed for the duration of the Games.
Funding
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The stadium was built privately, but as of 2015, the developer was seeking significant tax breaks from Inglewood.
At the commencement of construction, the cost of the stadium was estimated at $2.66 billion. But internal league documents, produced by the NFL in March 2018, indicated a need to raise the debt ceiling for the stadium and facility to a total of $4.963 billion, making it by far, the most expensive sports venue ever built. Team owners voted to approve this new debt ceiling at a meeting that same month. In May 2020, another $500 million in loans was approved by the NFL and the owners. It is currently the most expensive stadium in the world at a cost of $5.5 billion.
Teams
The St. Louis Rams were first to commit to moving to the stadium, as NFL approval for their relocation to Los Angeles was obtained on January 12, 2016. The approval, as part of a concession made by Kroenke to get the stadium project and Rams relocation approved, also gave the San Diego Chargers the first option to relocate to Los Angeles and share the stadium with the Rams, conditioned on a negotiated lease agreement between the two teams. The option would have expired on January 15, 2017, at which time the Oakland Raiders would have acquired the same option.
On January 29, 2016, the Rams and the Chargers came to an agreement in principle to share the stadium. Both teams would contribute a $200 million stadium loan from the NFL and personal seat license fees to the construction costs and would pay $1 per year in rent to the facility's controlling entity, StadCo LA, LLC. The same day, Chargers chairman and CEO Dean Spanos announced the team would remain in San Diego for the 2016 NFL season, while continuing to work with local government on a new stadium. Measure C (the Chargers stadium proposal) did not receive the requisite number of votes required for passage.
On January 12, 2017, the Chargers exercised their option and announced plans to relocate to Los Angeles for the 2017 season, making the Chargers the second tenant at the stadium and returning them to the market where they played their inaugural season in 1960. The Chargers exercising of their option led the Raiders to move to Las Vegas, Nevada, instead, and they began play at Allegiant Stadium in 2020.
The Rams' and the Chargers' move into the stadium marked the return of major professional sports to Inglewood for the first time since the Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings left The Forum for Staples Center in Downtown Los Angeles in October 1999.
Major events
NFL
Super Bowl LVI
SoFi Stadium hosted Super Bowl LVI on February 13, 2022, marking the first Super Bowl to be played in the Los Angeles area since Super Bowl XXVII in 1993. The stadium was originally awarded Super Bowl LV (2021) at an NFL owners' meeting in May 2016; in May 2017, because the stadium's opening was delayed to 2020, the NFL chose to re-award Super Bowl LV to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa (which was the remaining city in a pool of four used to determine the hosts of Super Bowl LIII through LV), and award LVI to Los Angeles instead. Because issues may need to be addressed in an inaugural season, the NFL does not allow a stadium to host the Super Bowl during its first season of operation.
In 2022, SoFi Stadium became the first stadium to host a conference championship game and the Super Bowl in the same year. With the Rams winning the 2021 NFC Championship Game, they became only the second team behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium, although the Rams were the away team, since the AFC (Cincinnati Bengals) was the designated home team. Following the Rams 23–20 victory against the Bengals, it also became the second stadium to see its main tenant win the Super Bowl after Raymond James Stadium.
Super Bowl LXI
SoFi Stadium will host Super Bowl LXI on February 14, 2027, its second Super Bowl.
| Date | Winning Team | Result | Losing Team | Event | Attendance |
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| February 13, 2022 | Los Angeles Rams | 23–20 | Cincinnati Bengals | Super Bowl LVI | 70,048 |
| February 14, 2027 | – | Super Bowl LXI |
College football
College Football Playoff National Championship
On November 1, 2017, it was announced that the stadium would host the 2023 College Football Playoff National Championship. The Georgia Bulldogs, winners of the Peach Bowl and TCU Horned Frogs, winners of the Fiesta Bowl played on January 9, 2023. Georgia won 65–7, making it the largest margin of victory in a national championship game, and at the time, was the largest margin of victory any bowl game at the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level, until Georgia surpassed that margin in the 2023 Orange Bowl.
LA Bowl
The Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences play a bowl game at SoFi Stadium known as the LA Bowl (officially known as the L.A. Bowl Hosted by Gronk). The conference tie-ins for the game moved from the Las Vegas Bowl. The inaugural edition of the game in 2021 featured Utah State defeating Oregon State 24–13.
| Date | Winning Team | Losing Team | Attendance | Notes | ||
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| December 18, 2021 | Utah State  |
24 |  Oregon State |
13 | 29,896 | notes |
| December 17, 2022 | Fresno State  |
29 |  Washington State |
6 | 32,405 | notes |
| December 16, 2023 | UCLA |
35 |  Boise State |
22 | 32,780 | notes |
High School football
On October 13, 2023, SoFi Stadium hosted its first high school football game between Downey rivals Warren High School and Downey High School, with the winner being invited to and honored at the 2023 LA Bowl. 18,000 people watched Warren defeat Downey 28–21.
Soccer
SoFi Stadium hosted a club friendly doubleheader on August 3, 2022, between two Major League Soccer clubs based in Los Angeles and two Liga MX clubs from Mexico: the Los Angeles Galaxy defeated Chivas Guadalajara 2–0; and Los Angeles FC lost in a penalty shootout against Club America. The event was sold out and was part of the Leagues Cup Showcase.
| Date | Winning Team | Result | Losing Team | Event | Attendance |
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| August 3, 2022 | LA Galaxy  |
2–0 |  Guadalajara |
Leagues Cup Showcase | 71,189 |
| Club América |
0–0 (6–5 pen.) |
Los Angeles FC |
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| July 16, 2023 | Mexico |
1–0 |  Panama |
2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup Final | 72,963 |
| July 26, 2023 | Arsenal  |
5–3 |  Barcelona |
Club Friendly | 70,223 |
| June 24, 2024 | Brazil  |
– |  Costa Rica |
2024 Copa América | |
| June 26, 2024 | Venezuela  |
– | Mexico |
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| July 27, 2024 | Arsenal |
– | Manchester United |
Club Friendly |
International matches
The stadium hosted the 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup final on July 16, 2023. It was the seventh final held in the Los Angeles area. Mexico won 1–0 against Panama. The stadium will also host two matches during 2024 Copa América.
2026 FIFA World Cup
The local bid for Los Angeles in the 2026 FIFA World Cup was organized by private businesses led by AEG with assistance from the Los Angeles Sports and Entertainment District Commission, Los Angeles FC, the LA Galaxy, and Rose Bowl Stadium. The Los Angeles City Council approved the bid after private businesses showed support and offered to pay hosting costs. SoFi Stadium was initially not selected as a bidding venue in the winning Canada–Mexico–United States bid because the organizing committee left unbuilt venues out of its final evaluations. The American bid to host the World Cup was selected by FIFA on June 13, 2018, and SoFi stadium will host multiple matches during the tournament. SoFi Stadium is one of sixteen venues set to host matches. It is also one of eleven US venues being used and is one of two venues in California which will host matches, the other being Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area.
The stadium lacks a regulation-sized soccer pitch due to its narrow width, which has been criticized by FIFA officials. To satisfy FIFA requirements, several field level seats would be removed and the turf surface replaced by a grass pitch. In September 2023, Stan Kroenke threatened to pull hosting from the stadium until a dispute regarding revenue sharing between him and FIFA could be resolved, though it was confirmed in January 2024 that the stadium would still be hosting matches. On February 4, 2024, it was announced that the stadium would host the opening match for the United States on June 12, 2026, as well as their third group match on June 25, 2026. SoFi Stadium will host eight matches: five group stage matches, two Round of 32 matches and a quarterfinals match.
WrestleMania
On April 1 and 2, 2023, SoFi Stadium hosted WrestleMania 39, the 2023 edition of WWE's flagship professional wrestling event WrestleMania. It was the highest-grossing event in WWE history, with a reported gate of $21.6 million and a combined attendance of 161,892 fans over both nights. SoFi Stadium was originally slated to host WrestleMania 37 in 2021, but its hosting was deferred to 2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2028 Summer Olympics
SoFi Stadium (which, per prior precedent, will be renamed for the duration of the Games according to sponsorship rules) will host the opening and closing ceremonies of 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympics (with organizers proposing a split format for the Olympics that would also incorporate the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum). The stadium will also host archery and soccer (football).
2031 and 2033 Rugby World Cups
Los Angeles is amongst the cities being considered for hosting matches during the 2031 Rugby World Cup and 2033 Women's Rugby World Cup.
Hollywood Park
The stadium and the adjacent Lake Park are central to Hollywood Park, an entertainment complex and master-planned neighborhood named after the former horse racing track that sat on the site. Hollywood Park consists of over 8.5 million square feet (790,000 m2) that will be used for office space and condominiums, a 12-screen Cinepolis movie theater, ballrooms, outdoor spaces for community programming, retail, a fitness center, a luxury hotel, a brewery, restaurants and an open-air shopping and entertainment complex. Adjacent to the stadium is an artificial lake colloquially known as Rivers Lake, with a waterfall and fountain. The YouTube Theater, which seats 6,000, is under the southeast corner of the stadium canopy.
The first establishment to open in Hollywood Park was the Hollywood Park Casino, which opened on October 21, 2016. The NFL opened a new west coast campus in a seven-story office tower at Hollywood Park next to the stadium on September 8, 2021. Replacing a facility in Culver City, it consists of 214,063 square feet (19,887.1 m2) of leased office space and a 74,992 square feet (6,967.0 m2) studio, and features 20 conference rooms, five soundstages and an outdoor studio. One of its main tenants is NFL Media—which operates NFL Films, NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and the league's digital properties from the building. The league has also used the facility as a secondary hub for replay reviews.
Public transportation
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The stadium is accessible from bus shuttles to two nearby Los Angeles Metro Rail lines: the C Line at Hawthorne/Lennox station and the K Line at Downtown Inglewood station. These shuttle services operate every five to eight minutes starting three hours prior to kickoff time, and continuing until ninety minutes after the game's conclusion.
A second game-day shuttle line, operated by the city of Gardena's GTrans municipal bus service, originates from the Harbor Gateway Transit Center in Gardena, traveling to SoFi Stadium, with connections to the C Line's Hawthorne/Lennox station. SoFi Stadium is also accessible by Metro lines 115, 117, 211, 212, and Torrance Transit line 10.
The city of Inglewood and Los Angeles Metro began talks to build an 1.6 miles (2.6 km) automated people mover line that will connect the Downtown Inglewood K Line station with SoFi Stadium, as well as the Forum and the Intuit Dome, the future Los Angeles Clippers basketball arena just south of the Hollywood Park site. The Inglewood Transit Connector will be operated by the city, in conjunction with Metro, and was planned to open in 2027, one year prior to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. However, the Federal Transit Administration reports that the people mover is not expected to open for revenue service until early 2030.
See also
In Spanish: SoFi Stadium para niños
- List of most expensive buildings
- List of current National Football League stadiums
