The 2020 NFL schedule was released on Thursday and we now know when the inaugural game at the new SoFi Stadium will take place.
The nearly $5 Billion dollar stadium will debut underneath the bright lights of NBC's Sunday Night Football, when the Los Angeles Rams host the Dallas Cowboys on September 13.
The opening of the unprecedented and unparalleled sports and entertainment venue located in Inglewood, CA has been five years in the making. Ever since Owner and Chairman of the Rams, Stan Kroenke, announced the team was moving back to Los Angeles ahead of the 2016 season.
Weather and construction issues delayed the opening of the stadium a year, and the COVID-19 pandemic spoiled its debut concert in July, but there's no better way to usher in a new venue than hosting America's Team on national television.
“We are so excited to kick off the 2020 season at SoFi Stadium and couldn’t imagine a better way to play our first game in our new home than on Sunday Night Football,” Rams Head Coach Sean McVay said in a statement. “Experiencing the opening of a new stadium is rare, let alone one as remarkable as the one Stan Kroenke has developed. His vision for football in our city is about to become an incredible reality, and during these trying times, we hope the opening of this iconic stadium will provide a reminder to our fans of the hope that sports can bring our community.”
In addition to the Rams’ season opener on Sunday Night Football, Los Angeles will appear on NBC’s primetime TV slot for a second time on Oct. 18 against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium. The team will also be broadcast nationally on ESPN’s Monday Night Football twice (Week 7 vs. Chicago Bears; Week 11 at Tampa Bay) and by FOX, NFL Network, and Amazon for their Thursday Night Football programming in Week 14 vs. the New England Patriots.
After breaking the ice against the 49ers in Week 7, Los Angeles will resume division play after their Week 9 bye against the Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 15. Five of the team’s six division games will make up the second half of the Rams’ schedule. L.A. also will rotate matchups with the AFC East and NFC East divisions.
Admittedly, the NFL opener on Sept. 13 will not be the first action at SoFi Stadium. The Rams are expected to play three preseason games there ahead of their regular season debut against the Cowboys, (Week 1 vs. Saints, Week 2 @ Chargers, Week 3 vs. Broncos) before traveling to the desert to get their first look at the Las Vegas Raiders’ new Allegiant Stadium.
Now, the next question is whether or not these games will take place as scheduled, or if there will be any fans in attendance for the first few games at SoFi Stadium. The COVID-19 pandemic has shut down all major professional sports in the United States since March 11, and a vaccine is not expected to be readily available by the time the preseason kicks off in August.
Local
Get Los Angeles's latest local news on crime, entertainment, weather, schools, COVID, cost of living and more. Here's your go-to source for today's LA news.
The NFL currently has contingency plans in place if the season does have to be postponed, or played without fans in attendance. On Wednesday, the NFL sent a memo to teams breaking down the refund policy for tickets in the event the games are cancelled, postponed, or played without fans.
If games are cancelled or played without spectators, any tickets purchased directly from the Rams or through Ticketmaster for Rams home games will be refunded within 30 days of cancellation or decision to play without spectators. Season Ticket Members will receive a pro-rata refund of the season ticket purchase for any impacted games or the option to credit that amount toward season tickets in 2021. Tickets purchased on the resale marketplace will be subject to resale marketplace policies.
If you do wish to purchase tickets for any of the Rams' games at SoFi stadium, visit www.therams.com/tickets.
The entirety of the 2020 Los Angeles Rams schedule (including the preseason) is below:
| WEEK | DATE | OPPONENT | PT | TV |
| PRE 1 | Aug. 13-17 | New Orleans | TBD | KABC-TV |
| PRE 2 | Aug. 20-24 | at L.A. Chargers | TBD | KABC-TV |
| PRE 3 | Aug. 27-30 | Denver | TBD | KABC-TV |
| PRE 4 | Sep. 3-4 | at Las Vegas | TBD | KABC-TV |
| 1 | Sep. 13 | Dallas Cowboys | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 2 | Sep. 20 | at Philadelphia Eagles | 10:00 AM | FOX |
| 3 | Sep. 27 | at Buffalo Bills | 10:00 AM | FOX |
| 4 | Oct. 4 | New York Giants | 1:05 PM | FOX |
| 5 | Oct. 11 | at Washington Redskins | 10:00 AM | FOX |
| 6 | Oct. 18 | at San Francisco 49ers* | 5:20 PM | NBC |
| 7 | Oct. 26 | Chicago Bears (Mon) | 5:15 PM | ESPN |
| 8 | Nov. 1 | at Miami Dolphins | 10:00 AM | FOX |
| 9 | BYE | |||
| 10 | Nov. 15 | Seattle Seahawks | 1:25 PM | FOX |
| 11 | Nov. 23 | at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Mon) | 5:15 PM | ESPN |
| 12 | Nov. 29 | San Francisco 49ers | 1:05 PM | FOX |
| 13 | Dec. 6 | at Arizona Cardinals | 1:05 PM | FOX |
| 14 | Dec. 10 | New England Patriots (Thu) | 5:20 PM | FOX/NFLN/Amazon** |
| 15 | Dec. 19 or 20 | New York Jets | TBD | TBD |
| 16 | Dec. 27 | at Seattle Seahawks | 1:05 PM | CBS |
| 17 | Jan. 3 | Arizona Cardinals | 1:25 PM | FOX |
BOLD denotes
Rams home games
(*) – Sunday night games in Weeks 5-16 subject to change; Week 17 game TBD
(**) – NFL Network and Amazon simulcast subject to change
