The NFL is reportedly considering replacement venues for Super Bowl LVI should COVID-19 restrictions impact the Feb. 13 game scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
WFAA reports the NFL has reached out to the Dallas Cowboys about using Arlington’s AT&T Stadium as a potential site for the game, with a Cowboys source confirming that the team and league have engaged in preliminary discussions on the topic.
“The league did inquire about a date if [the] stadium is available,” the source said. “But that’s all I’ve ever heard. They could be just covering all options just in case.”
Of course, the Dallas-Fort Worth area, which last hosted the Super Bowl in 2011, is prepared should they be tasked with serving as a replacement site. A source with the City of Arlington told WFAA that city officials “proactively and independently sent a message to the NFL in mid-December as COVID case counts began to spike as a result of the Omicron variant, stating that Arlington stands ready to step in and host the game if necessary.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the NFL confirmed to WFAA that the league is indeed looking into backup venues, while maintaining that it is “part of our standard contingency planning process.”
“We plan on playing Super Bowl 56 as scheduled at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 13,” NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy said on Wednesday. “As part of our standard contingency planning process that we conduct for all regular and postseason games, we have contacted several clubs to inquire about stadium availability in the event we cannot play the Super Bowl as scheduled due to weather-related issues or unforeseen circumstances.”
