As more of the American labor force at least considers working from home to quell the spread of coronavirus, that prospect is impossible for many trades — including construction.
Should worksites shut down, two NFL stadium projects scheduled to debut with the start of the 2020 season in Los Angeles and Las Vegas could find it hard to meet that deadline. As of right now, they are still on track, but that could change overnight.
"It’s a simple proposition," writes Mike Florio of NBC Sports' Pro Football Talk. "If citizens are prohibited from leaving home only to go to the store, the pharmacy, or to get gasoline, they won’t be allowed to leave home for work. And of all the jobs that now can be done at home, working on a stadium cannot be.
"So unless housing will be constructed at the stadium site for all stadium workers, there will be no way for the stadium workers to work on these stadiums. Which could keep the Raiders in Oakland, the Rams in the Coliseum, and the Chargers in a 30,000-seat soccer stadium for another year."
As reported by 247sports.com, the Rams and Chargers are scheduled to move from the legendary L.A. Coliseum to a brand-new, state-of-the-art stadium in Inglewood, Calif., across the street from the Great Western Forum, the former home of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Planned to open in July, SoFi Stadium will serve as the home to the Rams and Chargers, who had been playing in the Major League Soccer venue Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., after moving from San Diego in 2017. It is also scheduled to host Super Bowl LVI in February 2022 and the College Football Playoff National Championship in January 2023.
During the 2028 Summer Olympics, the stadium is expected to host the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as soccer. Archery will be held on the grounds outside the stadium. It was constructed at an estimated cost of $4.9 billion, 247sports.com reported.
The Raiders will be moving out of Oakland for the second time in franchise history to Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev., a suburb just outside Las Vegas. Constructed at an estimated cost of $1.8 billion, construction broke ground on the facility in November of 2017.
Most professional sports leagues in the U.S. have suspended operations because of the coronavirus epidemic. According to 247sports.com, the NFL is still expected to have its league year begin this Wednesday and there are currently no plans to alter the schedule for the NFL Draft, which is scheduled for April 23-25 in Las Vegas.
