It is known throughout the world of sports that AEG wants to own an NFL franchise and build a state-of-the-art stadium in downtown Los Angeles. What has been widely ignored is the fact that either USC or UCLA will benefit directly from the presence of an NFL team in Los Angeles. AEG billionaire owner Philip Anschutz has his hands gripped tightly around the epicenter of downtown Los Angeles.
AEG already owns L.A. LIVE, which a is "4-million sq. ft. sports, entertainment and residential district in downtown Los Angeles, adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center," according to the aegworldwide.com website.
The L.A. LIVE complex is the go-to destination in downtown LA, and houses STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre, Ritz-Carlton J.W. Marriot and many other state-of-the-art entertainment and dining experiences. The addition of the proposed Farmer’s Field would further establish AEG’s presence in downtown Los Angeles, and keep AEG's pocketbooks heavy for many years to come.
Everyone knows that the Los Angeles Lakers franchise is one of the most storied and recognized in the world, and with the emergence of Blake Griffin’s “Lob City” and the Los Angeles Clippers, STAPLES Center is the most exciting building in the United States on a nightly basis. Not to mention acts like Jay-Z and Kanye West, Prince, Taylor Swift, Britney Spears and countless others perform regularly at the downtown LA venue. AEG is winning.
Let’s get back to the main topic. AEG wants to build a football stadium in downtown Los Angeles. If Anschutz has his way, he would purchase a minority stake of an NFL team at a discounted rate. However, as Jason Cole of Yahoo! Sports reports, “No NFL owner would accept the terms proposed,” a source told Cole. “If [AEG] wanted to get that much control over an NFL franchise, their only option would be to buy a team,” he said.
This leads to a scenario that should make the college football scene very interesting in Los Angeles. If Anschutz and AEG are able to purchase a team, there will be a direct benefit to either USC or UCLA.
According to espn.com, AEG president and CEO Tim Leiweke isn’t going to “push dirt” on the construction of Farmer’s Field until his company owns an NFL team. “If construction begins in March 2013, the earliest the stadium would be open is September 2017. In the meantime, the NFL team that relocates to Los Angeles would play in either the L.A. Coliseum or the Rose Bowl,” says ESPNLosAngeles.com writer Arash Markazi.
This is the most important part of the story. Read carefully. If AEG relocates an NFL team to Los Angeles prior to the completion of Farmer’s Field, either the Rose Bowl or the L.A. Coliseum will receive upgrades worthy of an NFL franchise. The City of Los Angeles is now presented with a newsworthy dilemma. Who will prevail in the battle for stadium improvements? Will it be the USC Trojans or the UCLA Bruins? Will the Rose Bowl be resurrected or will the L.A. Coliseum finally see the light?
One thing is certain in AEG’s quest to own an NFL franchise in Los Angeles. Either USC or UCLA will benefit when it is all said and done. If AEG reaches a deal to build Farmer’s Field in downtown LA, the off-the-field battle between cross-town rivals USC and UCLA will be the one to watch.
Excerpt from the RoseBowlStadium.com website:
"AEG has informally contacted the Rose Bowl, and the stadium could potentially host an NFL team on a short-term basis,” said Rose Bowl Operation Co. President and Pasadena City Councilman Victor Gordo. “A renovated Rose Bowl would be a very attractive site. Of course, any agreement would have to be respectful of our current tenants and of course UCLA, and must be respectful of the surrounding neighbors. They had an overwhelming concern with a permanent NFL team. As long as we addressed all of their concerns, I think they would be OK with it.”
Excerpt from SportsBusinessDaily.com website:
"AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke said that L.A. Memorial Coliseum "would be in play as a temporary home for a relocated NFL team only if it was USC -- and not the Coliseum Commission -- that cut the deal," according to Sam Farmer of the L.A. TIMES. AEG has discussed an NFL team playing at the facility while Farmers Field is under construction."
