AT&T Stadium In Arlington Potential Alternate Venue To Host Super Bowl If Needed Due To Pandemic
UPDATE: NFL Has No Plans To Move Super Bowl To Arlington; Officials Say It's Staying In California
ARLINGTON, Texas (CBSDFW.COM/AP) - The NFL, in the midst of a rise in COVID-19 cases, is looking into other potential sites for next month's Super Bowl and AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the home of the Dallas Cowboys, is one of the facilities the NFL has contacted, an NFL spokesperson confirmed to CBS 11 Wednesday afternoon, Jan. 5.
The stadium hosted the Rose Bowl in 2021 when it was switched from Pasadena because of COVID-19 restrictions in California.
The NFL said Wednesday, at this point it has no plans to move Super Bowl LVI.
"We plan on playing Super Bowl LVI as scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, February 13," NFL spokesperson Brian McCarthy said in a statement emailed to CBS 11.
He went on to say, "As part of our standard contingency planning process that we conduct for all regular and postseason games, we have contacted several clubs to inquire about stadium availability in the event we cannot play the Super Bowl as scheduled due to weather-related issues or unforeseen circumstances. Our planning process for the Super Bowl in Los Angeles is ahead of schedule and we look forward to hosting the Super Bowl there to culminate another fantastic NFL season for our fans and clubs."
Arlington Mayor Jim Ross told CBS 11 in a statement, the city has not discussed the upcoming Super Bowl, which is just over 5 weeks away, with the NFL or the Cowboys, but the city would be ready to help if needed.
"Over the last two years of the COVID experience, the City of Arlington has been in periodic communication with the NFL and Cowboys as a resource for any contingency planning needs. The City has not discussed the upcoming Super Bowl with the League or Cowboys; however, should the NFL need support for any continuity of their operations, we will assist," Mayor Ross said.
Meantime, California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said officials are committed to making sure the event goes forward as planned, "that the mitigation strategies that create safety around that event are in place."
"I know L.A. County is closely in contact with the NFL to make sure that strategies are put in place to ensure that people can enjoy this important event while making sure that we put things in place that allow COVID mitigation to be an important feature of the approach to that game that is just over a month away," Ghaly said Wednesday.
Earlier Wednesday, the Grammy Awards were postponed indefinitely.
They were scheduled for Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Jan. 31.
Organizers cited health and safety concerns.
Here is the Grammy's full statement:
"After careful consideration and analysis with city and state officials, health and safety experts, the artist community and our many partners, the Recording Academy and CBS have postponed the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards Show. The health and safety of those in our music community, the live audience, and the hundreds of people who work tirelessly to produce our show remains our top priority. Given the uncertainty surrounding the Omicron variant, holding the show on January 31st simply contains too many risks. We look forward to celebrating Music's Biggest Night on a future date, which will be announced soon."
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
