The game every Los Angeles Rams fan was looking for during Thursday night’s schedule unveiling was the home opener at SoFi Stadium. With such a strong home schedule that features the Seahawks, 49ers, Cowboys, Patriots and Cardinals, everyone was waiting to see who the Rams’ first opponent at their new $5 billion stadium would be.
The NFL chose wisely with the Cowboys being that team, even if they’re not a division rival like the 49ers, Seahawks or Cardinals. The Rams will host Dallas on Sunday Night Football in Week 1, putting these two teams and a spectacular new venue on center stage in the first week of the season.
The Cowboys always made the most sense as the team for the Rams to open SoFi Stadium against.
Let’s start with what’s likely the primary reason for this decision: Jerry Jones. Behind the scenes, Jones played a key role in moving the Rams back to Los Angeles. There was even a lawsuit filed that claimed Jones conspired with Rams owner Stan Kroenke regarding the move.
With the Rams moving back to Los Angeles, they needed a new stadium. Jones was a major player in that development, too. He helped push the deal through to get the Rams, Chargers and Raiders all new stadiums, the biggest of which is SoFi.
And the stadium’s name? That was negotiated by Jones’ company, Legends.
There are even aspects of SoFi Stadium that draw from features at the Cowboys’ home, AT&T Stadium – things like the press conference room being visible to fans in the suite level, only separated by glass. The design of the suites – which stretch all around the stadium, from mid-level to field-level, like they do in Arlington – also draw off inspiration from AT&T Stadium.
The same architect, HKS, built both stadiums, too.
Jones is the most influential owner in the NFL, and likely all of sports. He also has a close relationship with Kroenke, which makes this decision even more understandable. Jones even said back in February that he wanted the Cowboys to be the first road team to play at SoFi Stadium. And he got his wish.
The other reason for choosing Rams-Cowboys as the stadium-opener is ratings. The Cowboys are a TV network’s dream, always pulling in strong ratings no matter when they’re on TV. It’s why they typically max out with five prime-time games each year. And whether they’re truly still “America’s Team” is debated constantly, but it’s hard to argue with the numbers.
By putting this matchup as the first Sunday Night Football game of the season, all eyes will be on SoFi Stadium and two teams that have played some highly entertaining games in the last three years. On paper, it could be a high-scoring shootout, given the explosive offenses that both teams possess.
If it’s anything like their regular-season battle in 2017 or their playoff matchup a year later, this game should be a fun one to watch.
The possible issue with the Cowboys being the first team on the Rams’ schedule is the chance that their fans could fill SoFi Stadium and lessen the home-field advantage for L.A. There are Cowboys fans all across the country, but especially in California. The team holds its training camp each year in Oxnard, and fans come out in droves to watch practices.
Southern California is like the Cowboys’ second home, and you can bet fans will be ponying up the cash to witness the first regular-season game ever at the brand new stadium. Hopefully Rams fans who already have tickets decide to keep them rather than flipping them to Cowboys fans for a big profit.
The game is guaranteed to be a sellout, assuming fans are able to attend amid the coronavirus pandemic. Just look back to 2016 when the Rams and Cowboys set a U.S. preseason attendance record in the Rams’ first game back in Los Angeles. Nearly 90,000 fans came out to watch that exhibition game. And last year’s preseason game in Hawaii between the Rams and Cowboys sold out in less than a day.
This was clearly the right move by the NFL – and for the Rams, who likely had a say in this all. The storylines are endless, from Jones and Kroenke’s relationship to Dak Prescott and Jared Goff, who were selected in the same draft class. It’s going to be must-see TV for the vast majority of even casual NFL fans, which is exactly what the league was hoping for.
Let’s just hope the COVID-19 pandemic subsides in time for fans to attend the game in person and not just watch from their homes.
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