Winds and flames that continue to plague Southern California, and a long and costly recovery ahead, are raising new concerns about hosting three major sporting events over the next three years.
World Cup matches are scheduled for the summer of 2026 at SoFi Stadium. That will be followed by the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
So far, there has been no damage to stadiums or arenas in the region, and event organizers and government leaders have expressed confidence in going ahead with the event.
“Los Angeles is defined by its resilience and determination,” LA28 Organizing Committee Chairman Casey Wasserman said in a statement. “The strength of our community and our unity in difficult times is what makes this city extraordinary, and when Los Angeles welcomes the world in 2028, our spirit will shine brighter than ever before.” .”
But some worry that sports will take away resources and valuable attention that could be devoted to rebuilding.
“Cities preparing for three major events have their hands full,” said Jules Boykoff, a sports politics researcher at Pacific University in Oregon. “While good people in government may be working on the Olympics or the Super Bowl, they are not working on other issues.”
Each event has a different impact on the city. The Super Bowl will be held Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The World Cup, also held at SoFi, will feature eight matches over the course of a month.
The Summer Olympics will involve thousands of athletes, dozens of venues across the region and an estimated 15 million visitors over 17 days in July 2028. The following month will see the Paralympics, another event expected to draw thousands of athletes and spectators. To the city.
Only two of the proposed Olympic sites were under threat from wildfires. Riviera Country Club, where golf will be held, is within the Palisades fire evacuation zone, while UCLA, which will become the Olympic village in 2028, was just outside the warning zone.
Although SoFi was about 25 miles from the nearest fire scene, the NFL decided to move Monday night’s playoff game between the Rams and Minnesota Vikings to Phoenix.
“The guiding principle for us has always been, don’t interfere, don’t do anything that would negatively impact public safety,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview. “Be careful not to take resources away from responders.”
Conservative commentators such as Trish Regan and Charlie Kirk called for a stronger response.
“We must move the Olympics out of (California) as soon as possible,” Regan wrote on X, adding that the state’s leadership “cannot be trusted.”
The idea of switching host cities is not new. As early as 1908, the International Olympic Committee wanted Rome to host the event, but after the eruption of Mount Vesuvius devastated the nearby province of Naples, they moved to London.
It’s ironic that Southern California is currently in a similar situation.
Before the 1924 Summer Olympics, when host Paris was suffering from flooding and economic hardship, L.A.’s civic leaders volunteered the city as a last-minute stand-in. France was able to host the Olympics, but the offer of support was not forgotten.
“This allowed them to benefit from the IOC,” said Mark Dyreson, a sports historian at Penn State University. “They created a myth that Los Angeles was a great backup city.”
The Olympics were eventually held here in 1932 and 1984, further reinforcing its reputation for being always ready. The 2028 plan will rely almost entirely on existing venues such as SoFi, Intuit Dome and the historic Coliseum, avoiding the massive construction required by past venues.
Despite the capital costs, the Olympics will require additional police, traffic control, trash collection, and other public services. LA28 has vowed to generate enough revenue to pay city reimbursements and all other costs with its $7 billion budget, but if a shortfall occurs, city and state officials will They agreed to contribute $100,000 in taxes.
Man-hours are another issue. Planning for the World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympics is well underway, with cities preparing studies, negotiating contracts, and forming subcommittees. Council members spent hours debating the issue.
For leaders who are also battling wildfires, the extra workload could be a problem.
“How do we properly handle all of these things at the same time?” said Eric Sheehan, a spokesperson for the grassroots group NOlympics LA. “The only option is to transform the affected population in the short term.”
As for the Olympics, the host city agreement signed by LA allows the IOC to terminate them under certain circumstances. Organizers could also appeal to Olympic officials to make their case. Denver won the bid to host the 1976 Winter Olympics, but pulled out two years later after voters rejected a funding referendum. These games landed in Innsbruck, Austria.
Despite the many challenges facing Southern California, critics don’t think L.A. will back down. “I have high hopes that Los Angeles’ leaders will create a narrative of recovery,” said Boykoff, a professor at the University of the Pacific.
Japanese officials adopted this approach when bidding for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, arguing that big events could lift community spirits and boost the economy. The IOC has always liked the idea that the Olympics have a positive impact on society.
Gov. Gavin Newsom has already touched on the theme in L.A., telling NBC News about “all the opportunities, the pride and spirit that comes from hosting these three iconic (events).”
When asked if the city would be ready in time, he replied: “My humble position does not mean simple optimism, but only reinforces our obligation to act quickly and in a spirit of cooperation and cooperation.”
The governor predicted that President-elect Trump, who has a habit of attending high-profile games, would be eager to help.
Fires are still burning in the area at this time, and World Cup officials said they were monitoring the situation. LA28 leaders are focusing on immediate concerns (some employees are affected) and will then turn to long-term plans.
This past week has shown us that everything can change in the blink of an eye. So three years is a long time. If L.A. decides to stick with the plan, Boykoff cautioned, “we have to expect some surprises.”
