Is the NFL Headed Back to Los Angeles?

With the recent announcement that Los Angeles is fast-tracking plans to expand their convention center and build an adjoining football stadium, it now seems like an almost foregone conclusion that the NFL will bring a team back to the City of Angels in the near future. If this pans out, though, where will L.A.'s team come from? Conventional wisdom says that the NFL won't be expanding soon, unless its internationally, so that leaves a franchise move to get L.A. back in The League. The current scuttlebutt has four teams on the short list for relocation, so let's take a quick look at each of them.

Jacksonville Jaguars
At first blush, Jacksonville seems like a strong candidate to move, given the team's lackluster performance on the field and at the turnstile throughout its history. However, the NFL has invested a lot in Jacksonville, which was an expansion city in 1995 and hosted the Super Bowl after the 2004 season. In addition, owner Wayne Weaver has locked the team into a stadium lease until 2030, and it would be costly to break.

Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota teams always seem to find themselves mentioned when major changes are discussed. Remember when the Twins were going to be contracted? In reality, the Vikings have a storied history and rabid fan base, and there is a lot of corporate firepower in Minneapolis. It's hard to imagine the Vikings playing anywhere but the Twin Cities.

St. Louis Rams
The city of St. Louis has yet to make good on its promise that the Rams' stadium would be in the top 25% of NFL home fields by 2015, and new owner Stan Kroenke has strong western ties. If the Rams can't get out of their dome and into other St. Louis digs soon, they could be headed back from whence they came in 1995.

San Diego Chargers
A few years after the Padres left the premises, the Chargers are still playing in old Qualcomm Stadium, and there doesn't seem to be much impetus for the city to help change that. Add to that the continued rumblings that Los Angeles-based AEG has bought or will buy part of the team. And add to that Magic Johnson's desire to bring a team to L.A. and his partnership with AEG's Phil Anschultz. So, what do you have? A fairly compelling case that the Chargers could be headed north.

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We're almost certain to see the NFL return to Los Angeles sometime in the next few years. It will be fascinating to watch the machinations that lead one of our current teams to its new, glitzy home in Tinseltown.