The Rams are returning to Los Angeles for the 2016 season, more than 20 years after they left the city to make St. Louis their home.
The decision was announced late Tuesday by the NFL after a 30-2 vote by team owners in Houston. The Rams will eventually play at a nearly $3 billion facility being developed by Stan Kroenke, the team’s owner, in nearby Inglewood that is projected to be completed in 2019.
“This has been the most difficult process of my professional career,” Kroenke said in a statement. “While we are excited about the prospect of building a new stadium in Inglewood, California, this is bitter sweet.”
But that’s not the only news for NFL fans in Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest media market after New York. After having no NFL team for 21 years, it may suddenly have two. The San Diego Chargers have a one-year option to decide if they want to join the Rams. NFL.com reports they have until the end of the owners meeting (March 20-23) to decide on where they will play this year.
The Oakland Raiders, who had also looked to move to LA, withdrew their application Tuesday. Instead, they said, they will work with the NFL toward a solution for a new stadium. NFL.com adds they have a one-year option to join the Rams in Inglewood if the Chargers don’t.