LOS ANGELES (AP) — On Thursday, the NFL announced that the Los Angeles Rams’ playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings would be relocated from Southern California, marking the most significant change to the sports schedule in the wake of devastating wildfires in the region.
The wild-card game will now take place Monday night at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, almost 400 miles east of the Rams’ home, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
The NFL made the announcement after another fire broke out several miles from the Rams’ training facility in Woodland Hills, located about 13 miles north of the Pacific Palisades, which had already been severely affected by wildfires. While the fires were not near SoFi Stadium, located southwest of downtown Los Angeles, the NFL decided to relocate the game due to concerns about air quality and whether the local community could handle such a major event during the crisis.
Several large fires were burning throughout the Los Angeles area following two days of extreme winds. A major fire in the Hollywood Hills, near the entertainment industry, had been contained by Thursday morning, though it had caused significant concern.
At least 180,000 people had been ordered to evacuate, with the fires consuming about 45 square miles (117 square kilometers), an area roughly the size of San Francisco. The Palisades Fire was already the most destructive in Los Angeles history.
The Rams held their first practice on Thursday but canceled their player media availability to ensure everyone could leave quickly. The National Weather Service reported that the Los Angeles area would remain at high fire risk through Friday.
Relocations of NFL games are rare. In 2003, wildfires led to the relocation of a Monday night game between the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers to Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona. In 2018, the Rams had a Monday night game against Kansas City moved from Mexico City to Los Angeles due to concerns over the Azteca Stadium’s playing surface.
NBA and NHL
The NBA postponed the Los Angeles Lakers’ home game against the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday.
This was the second consecutive day a game in downtown Los Angeles had been postponed. The NHL’s Los Angeles Kings also had their game against the Calgary Flames scheduled for Wednesday night delayed.
The rescheduled dates for these games have not been announced, but the Kings confirmed that tickets for the postponed game will remain valid for the new date.
Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr shared that his 90-year-old mother was among the thousands of people who lost their homes in the wildfires.
College Basketball
The West Coast Conference postponed Thursday night’s women’s basketball games at Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount.
Pepperdine’s game against Portland was set to take place at Firestone Field House on its Malibu campus, but classes were canceled on Wednesday, and access to the campus was restricted. Loyola Marymount’s game against San Diego was also postponed due to air quality concerns inside Gersten Pavilion, which is undergoing renovations.
Horse Racing
Santa Anita Park postponed its Friday races until January 16 due to the forecast of poor air quality in Arcadia, near the Eaton Fire.
The California Horse Racing Board approved the change for the 10-race card, which will now be held with the horses previously entered. While Santa Anita is outside the active fire zones, the smoke from the fires is impacting the entire Los Angeles County area. The track also expressed concern for the community’s well-being, including horsemen and staff who have been affected by the fires.
A decision on Saturday and Sunday’s races will be made on Friday. The track has been distributing N-95 masks and protective eyewear to all workers due to the smoke.
Golf
The PGA Tour has not yet decided whether the Genesis Invitational, scheduled for February 13-16 at Riviera Country Club, will take place.
Riviera, which is set to host the 2028 Olympics golf event, is located in the Pacific Palisades, an area under evacuation orders. The tour has noted that the course itself has not been directly affected by the fire, but the tournament involves the construction of hospitality tents, which could be impacted.
Tiger Woods, who is hosting the event, has emphasized the significance of the tournament, which features a $20 million purse.
Soccer
Ali Riley, a defender for Angel City in the National Women’s Soccer League and a member of the New Zealand national team, shared that her family’s home was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
Riley posted a photo on Instagram showing the damage, with an arrow indicating where her house had once been.
“I was there Monday night eating dinner, hanging with mom and dad, watching the sunset,” she wrote. “And now it’s gone forever.”
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