Roger Goodell talks about NFL's decision to move Rams-Vikings playoff game amid LA wildfires
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and the league made a last second decision to move the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings final game from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, to State Farm Stadium in Arizona due to the wildfires in Southern California.
This move came after a while as the decision came out on Thursday. Because the game was played on a Monday instead of the weekend, the teams had an extra day to pack up, get out of shelter and head south for the game as emergency crews scrambled to put out fires in the Los Angeles area.
CLICK HERE TO WATCH ONE OF THE GAMES ON FOXNEWS.COM
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, left, talks with referee John Hussey before the NFL wild card playoff football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Goodell talked about the unprecedented move in an interview with ESPN.
“What the people of Los Angeles are going through, the destruction, the loss, the heartache we all feel for them, we knew the game would not be played there on Thursday,” he said. “Public safety and compromising any of that was not what we were doing. And we wanted to make sure that the first responders were focused on taking care of the people who are struggling out there.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES: IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS FOR LOS ANGELES RESIDENTS AND HOW TO HELP
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell watches before the NFL wild card playoff football game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
“When we made that decision, the league is coming together. We have preparations or what we call contingency plans that include two stadiums every week, and this was a perfect fit for the Los Angeles Rams fan base, and I'm proud to say that 45,000 of them made the trip to come here, which amazing everyone got together and Michael Bidwell and the Cardinals are at the top of that list.
Rams fans actually made that trip down to Glendale, Arizona. The organization even painted the stadium in Rams colors and a large LA logo in midfield.
Before the game, the Rams were among 12 teams in Los Angeles and Anaheim that announced a combined donation of $8 million to those affected by the wildfires.
Los Angeles Rams fans hold signs before the NFL wild card playoff football game against the Minnesota Vikings, Monday, Jan. 13, 2025, Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS PROGRAM
This money will support the victims and those who put out the fire. American Red Cross, Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, California Fire Foundation, Eaton Canyon Fire Relief and Recovery Fund, World Central Kitchen, California Community Foundation Wildlife Recovery Fund, Team Rubicon and others several local animal rescue organizations were named as beneficiaries of the donations.
Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X and register at the Fox News Sports Huddle.
