Likely no more Super Bowls, but Coliseum chief declares theres’s a bright future for iconic LA arena

John F. Kennedy spoke at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in front of a reported 80,000 people at the Democratic National Convention in 1960. Other notables to have graced the 99-year-old stadium before large crowds include Pope John Paul II in 1987 and Nelson Mandela in 1990.

The L.A. Rams first occupied these hallowed halls in 1946, when they arrived from Cleveland. On Sunday, they will take on the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI — about six and on-half miles away, at SoFi Stadium. The Coliseum hosted the first Super Bowl in 1967 — before it was even called that — and another in 1973. But with Inglewood’s posh new palace in operation, it likely won’t see another.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Len Dawson (16) looks for an opening, Jan. 15, 1967 in Super Bowl I game against Green Bay Packers, at Los Angeles Califonia’s Memorial Coliseum. Other players are unidentified. The Packers won, 35-21. (AP photo)

The Rams called the stone sports temple home until they moved to Anaheim for the 1980 season and again played in the old haunt and took on Seattle in front of over 91,000 fans on Sept. 18, 2016 after returning from St. Louis.

But the Rams were just waiting for SoFi to be built and once it was finished, their four-year return engagement at the Coliseum was over as the SoFi era began in 2020.

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The Raiders also made the Coliseum their home, from 1982-94.

The Dodgers played at the Coliseum for four years after moving from Brooklyn ahead of the 1958 season. Left-handed-hitting outfielder Wally Moon used to hit what were called “Moon Shots,” by lofting the ball over the high screen of the short left-field fence.

Heck, even daredevil Evil Knievel jumped 50 cars on his motorcycle there in 1973. Also, the Coliseum hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympic Games (and it’ll play a role when then return in 2028).

Concerts? How about “The Boss” Bruce Springsteen in 1985 and the Rolling Stones in 1989.

Let’s not forget that evangelist Billy Graham spoke there in front of some 134,254 people in 1963.

Wait, there’s more. Since the Coliseum opened in 1923, it has been home to USC football. From 1928 to 1981, it was also home to crosstown rival UCLA football.

Some of this is all in the past, and will stay there. For one thing, Coliseum commission president George L. Pla knows that with the Rams and Chargers now calling SoFi home, the NFL would likely never allow another team in the city.

“Yeah, we’re not going to get a third team,” he said.

He delivered an adamant “No!” when asked if having an NFL team occupy the Coliseum is even a concern these days.

Moving forward, while at the same time honoring the history of a venue that next January will celebrate its 100th birthday, is the focus.

A blazing Olympic cauldron is seen at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. The cauldron was lit early Wednesday morning at the stadium that was the site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. An International Olympic Committee meeting in Peru is to make it official that LA will host in 2028 and that the 2024 Games will go to Paris. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

The Coliseum is jointly owned by the city of Los Angeles, L.A. County and the state of California. However, it is operated by USC, which in 2019 completed a $315 million renovation with the funds coming from private donations.

One such donation resulted in the name United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which figures to be graced with USC football players for some time, as the school came away with a 98-year lease through 2111.

During a news conference on Aug. 15, 2019 upon completion of the project, USC President Carol L. Folt said in a story published on the USC website, “Today we celebrate what our city leaders, our local community and the larger Trojan family can accomplish when we work together and dream together.”

Pla loved what was done.

“They did a wonderful job with the renovation,” he said, during a telephone interview.

A complete list of the upgrades can be found at usctrojans.com/news/2019/8/15/usc-trojans-football-renovation-united-airlines-field-los-angeles-memorial-coliseum.aspx.

Sweet memory

Pla, who grew up in Boyle Heights, laughed when he recalled his first moments in the famed stadium.

“You’re talking to someone who grew up here and went to the Coliseum as a kid,” he said. “I remember my first game was in the very, very last row way up on top when the L.A. Rams were playing. They looked like ants, I was so far away.

“And then one day, lo and behold, I’m president of the Coliseum.”

Indeed, there is some love going on here.

“Why that is important is that I see the Coliseum as a public treasure for the community,” Pla said. “It doesn’t belong to USC, it doesn’t belong to the city or the state as far as I’m concerned. It belongs to the community.”

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Future looks bright

Speaking of USC football, Pla believes that a resurgence as a national power is just around the corner for the Trojans, and fans taking in their games at the Coliseum will be the beneficiaries.

“Now with (new head coach) Lincoln Riley coming and all the things he’s going to do, I think USC is going to be back to prominence,” he said. “For us, that’s like another NFL team.”

There is so much more to look forward to, Pla said.

A NASCAR race was staged at the Coliseum this past Sunday. Pla said the motorsports event drew in excess of 50,000 — and that the majority were Latino.

He said there is not yet a contract with NASCAR to come back, but he welcomes that with open arms.

“Oh, sure,” Pla said. “We’ll host them every year, if they want.”

Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s vice president of strategic innovation, sounded optimistic in his post-race assessment of the event, which included entertainment by rappers Pitbull — a NASCAR team owner — and Ice Cube.

“Again, I think the energy behind the crowd here was amazing,” Kennedy said. “I was walking back to the media center right after the event, ton of people smiling, laughing. The energy was really just contagious. It was great to see the fan reaction. Looking forward to watching it back on TV again.

A visitor takes a photo of a blazing Olympic cauldron at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017. The cauldron was lit early Wednesday morning at the stadium that was the site of the 1932 and 1984 Olympics. An International Olympic Committee meeting in Peru is to make it official that LA will host in 2028 and that the 2024 Games will go to Paris. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel)

“I think we’ll have a lot of data coming out of this. I think there is certainly potentially a future here. We’ll probably try to make a decision on that sooner than later.”

Pla noted that there is the possibility of this year’s Garfield-Roosevelt high school football rivalry game being played at the Coliseum.

“We’re trying to put that game in the Coliseum, which the high schools tell me will draw about 30,000. It draws 20,000 at East L.A. College, I have no doubt it will be more at the Coliseum.”

He said he wants to have other high school rivalry games there involving teams from South L.A. and other regions.

More concerts? Ye — formerly known as Kanye West — played in front of 70,000 at the Coliseum in December.

Again, there’s more. Pla said the commission is planning its centennial celebration, which hits next Jan. 5. The Coliseum will also host the closing and opening ceremonies as well as track & field at the 2028 Olympic Games. Swimming will be held at USC.

The end-all could be what Pla is trying to make happen outside of the Coliseum.

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“We call it the visitor’s center,” he said. “If you think about the history of the Coliseum where the Pope came, John F. Kennedy came, Billy Graham came, Evil Knievel. Not to mention USC, the Dodgers, the Rams and even UCLA played their home games there.

“We’re going to create an exhibit on the perimeter of the Coliseum where people as they walk into the Coliseum, they will see a piece of history out there on the perimeter.”

These would be exhibits that, if this comes to fruition, would be erected with the help of a curator from the Smithsonian Institution, Pla said.

“We asked the Smithsonian Institution to send us one of their curators to really do something pretty forward-looking so that people really understand and appreciate the history of the Coliseum,” said Pla, who said this plan is in the “concept” stage at this time.

Likely no more Super Bowls, but Coliseum chief declares theres’s a bright future for iconic LA arena

Sweet memory

Future looks bright

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Likely no more Super Bowls, but Coliseum chief declares theres’s a bright future for iconic LA arena

Sweet memory

Future looks bright

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