As preparations for a huge Super Bowl at Los Angeles' record-breaking SoFi stadium continue ahead of the big event, the stadium is creating an interesting challenge for residents in Inglewood, California.
SoFi Stadium, not far from Los Angeles International Airport, will possibly give some local residents an opportunity to make some money charging fans for parking at their nearby homes. As Sports Illustrated reported, some residents said they might try to charge fans up to $1,000 a car to park in their yards before going to the stadium for the event. Residents say that traffic has increased in the area as well.
Another challenge could be the weather. As NBC reported, the area could experience unseasonable heat during the game, which will be felt by fans as the now-iconic SoFi stadium is the first open-air, indoor-outdoor venue for the NFL.
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Los Angeles County that will last from Wednesday through Sunday evening. The service warned of an increased risk of heat-related illnesses.
Security will be a major focus for police as the event nears. Authorities said this week there were no known security threats to the Super Bowl yet. Officials on Tuesday outlined the coordinated law enforcement effort to keep those at the game at SoFi Stadium and the Los Angeles region safe. They say fans attending the game can expect an enormous police presence at the stadium, which will have a tightly monitored security perimeter.
Meanwhile, patrol officers, tactical teams, K-9 units and paramedics will be deployed across Los Angeles County.
The stadium covers 3.1 million square feet making it the largest for the National Football League. It is the first football stadium to be built within Los Angeles in nearly 100 years.
Fred Roggin, a long-time Los Angeles-based sports anchor for NBC said, “What does this mean for Los Angeles? It’s huge!” Roggin told the Los Angeles Times, “This Super Bowl is an enormous event, not only for the city of Los Angeles but for the return of football to L.A. with the Rams. When Stan Kroenke [the owner of the Rams] decided to come back and build that stadium, his dream and hope was that the Rams would be in the first Super Bowl in L.A.”