Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena (Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena)
As daunting as the task of hosting a National Football League franchise team might have seemed on paper, Joe Furin, general manager of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, shared that working with the Rams has given him no reason to complain. Even when it comes to the requirements the franchise will bring to his venue for the next three seasons, Furin said, “I wouldn’t use the word ‘demand.’ The reality is the Rams are very accommodating.”
For example, Furin said that with USC football games on Saturdays and NFL games on Sundays, the biggest challenge was turning the stadium around in such a short amount of time to meet the NFL franchise’s needs.
With this in mind, the Rams told Furin and his team that they “don’t necessarily have to reinvent the wheel” with a logistical upheaval every weekend.
“They realize this is a temporary facility for them for three years so they weren’t necessarily going to worry about things that, in some ways, have a short-term lifespan,” Furin said. “We’re fortunate that basically a lot of the things we do on a Saturday will work for them on a Sunday.”
While factors like increased WiFi for the NFL’s data recovery needs and unchanged locker rooms will go unnoticed by attendees, the alcohol sold to the general public at NFL games will likely gain their attention.
Another more serious change will be the installation of metal detectors at entrances to the coliseum, which the NFL requires at their games. This means modifying entry gates to fit them and will be a permanent change to the grounds.
“That’s the biggest thing we’ve had to incorporate in the off-season,” said Furin, “because, obviously, of what’s going on around the world. Unfortunately it’s a sign of the times. This is an upgrade that will become permanent for all events that the facility will host.”
Furin said the Coliseum stands to gain much from the partnership, both in monetary returns as well as fan reactions. Revenues from a guaranteed three seasons’ worth of ticket and concessions sales will go to upgrading and modernizing the site, not to mention the permanent installation of metal detectors.
The homecoming of the Rams to Los Angeles (who started their last season at the coliseum in 1979 and left to play in Anaheim in 1980) has brought no shortage of attention to fans. “You have generations of Angelinos who have never seen the Rams,” said Furin, “so here is an opportunity for the fathers and the grandfathers who used to see the Rams here to bring their family out and see the games.”
The Rams have had plenty of attention put on them already with the announcement of the mammoth construction companies Turner and AECOM partnering up to build their new stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
With 3 million square feet of usable space inside the stadium, fans will be able to enjoy a 70,000-person seating capacity, as well as 275 luxury suites, over 16,000 premium seats, and standing room for 27,000 fans.
The new stadium will mark the centerpiece of a new Hollywood Park entertainment district in Inglewood, including 300 hotel rooms, a performance venue with seating for 6,000 attendees, retail space, residences, public parks, and offices, all be a part of the new destination site. (VT Pulse, Jan. 25, 2016)
Though the move is not without difficulty (Rams Owner Stan Kroenke called the process “the hardest undertaking that I’ve faced in my professional career” at a press conference in January), the Coliseum is happy to have the Rams return for the first time in 36 years.
Furin said that the Coliseum is expecting capacity crowds since season ticket sales have been “excellent.” He said that he had also seen people walking around in nearby Exposition Park wearing Rams jerseys. Some of them, according to Furin, look through the fence at the Coliseum, making excited expressions like, “I can’t wait for them to get here!”
Interviewed for this article: Joe Furin, (213) 765-6342