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The Super Bowl is scheduled to come to California this year, though Texas is now peeping in to invite the lot if the party cannot get started on the West Coast. Super Bowl LVI, at the conclusion of the 2021 NFL season, is supposed to take place on the 13th of February 2022.
The venue selected for the 52nd iteration of the Super Bowl is in Inglewood, California, at the magnificent SoFi Stadium, home to both the Los Angeles Rams and the Los Angeles Chargers.
But there is a possibility that as COVID ramps up, stricter rules in California (as compared to Texas) could prompt a relocation of the game.
NFL Rumors: Difference in COVID rules and situation in California and Texas being taken into account for hosting Super Bowl
Because of the strictness of COVID rules in California, Texas has already benefited from a traditional Californian Bowl game being moved to the state of Texas last year.
In 2021, the Rose Bowl between Alabama and Notre Dame was not held in Pasadena due to prevailing restrictions and was instead moved to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.
The NFL, according to sources, is exploring a similar move for this year's Super Bowl should restrictions on fan attendance mean a lower possibility of football on the biggest football day of the year.
At the moment, current rules in California dictate that a person must either be fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID report should they wish to attend a public event. Mask mandates for indoor events have further been extended until the 15th of February, two days after the Super Bowl.
In such an event, it might alienate fans who are unvaccinated and might not wish to take a test. Texas, specifically AT&T Stadium, could stand to benefit in such a scenario as it has taken a firm stance against vaccine mandates and mask mandates.
If this were to happen, it would be a loss to the California economy and a huge boost to Texas. For instance, the economic impact of the 2020 Super Bowl stood at approximately 572 million USD.
Perhaps sensing economic losses, California has moved to tamp down on such speculation. The executive secretary to the Governor of the state put out a tweet saying that they hope to see one of the California teams in the Super Bowl and that it will be held in Los Angeles.
It must also be noted that the NFL has so far let games go on at SoFi Stadium despite vaccines and testing mandates being in place throughout the season. California team representatives are also meeting with the NFL to ensure that the Super Bowl can go proceed in the state.
The NFL would also see this as its top priority after building SoFi stadium and allowing two franchises to relocate there. Furthermore, rescheduling at the last moment causes a logistical and marketing nightmare, in terms of actual COVID positivity rates (Texas at 34.67% far outstrips California at 21.3%).
The NFL might choose to move forward with California in that instance as stricter requirements might still be a better option than risking becoming a COVID hotspot in the near future in Texas if positivity rates track current trends.
