Could Los Angeles become epicenter for annual NFL Scouting Combine?

It seems quite clear that for all intents and purposes, the LA Rams have earned a place in the hearts of Los Angeles residents as the team to cheer for in terms of NFL excellence. And it’s even more of an event going forward for the city with the presence of SoFi Stadium and sports complex, a sprawling 298-acre epicenter of sports and entertainment.

We’ve been sprinkling in the occasional status updates for SoFi Stadium for several years, even to the point of identifying the stadium as an outdoor-but-feels-like-an-indoor stadium. It is not just a place to watch football games, but it’s truly an architectural and technological wonder that adds to the sheer enjoyment of attending a football game and watching the live-action unfold before your very eyes.

But why stop there? Why limit the NFL’s presence to just LA Rams and LA Chargers football games, when the entire NFL draft class can be featured on the immaculate stage of SoFi Stadium? Well, right now, that is a decision that is facing the NFL. And I, for one, hope that the NFL opts to migrate the annual NFL Scouting Combine to Los Angeles.

Oh really? That’s interesting.

New and improved NFL Scouting Combine 2.0?

Right now, the annual NFL Scouting Combine contract with Indianapolis is expiring, and that opens the door to consider migrating the event to a new site. Right now, the event is accepting bids that are due to the league office in early April 2022. Announcements for the new site would likely be shared in late May 2022.

The event has been a staple for Indianapolis Indiana for years, and the experience has allowed the city to customize lodging and dining to support the annual influx of so many NFL hopeful prospects, scouts, and league executives that they have it down to a science. Any changes in the venue would need to realistically consider the surge of transportation, dining, lodging, and media support that comes with the event.  But perhaps that is why Los Angeles, and SoFi Stadium, stand out.

The master plan of the area is to attract and support events just like that of the NFL Scouting Combine, so it makes complete sense for Los Angeles and SoFi Stadium to pursue consideration to host a week-long event like this. This is one of the special annual events of the NFL and changing the site to Los Angeles raises the bar in terms of televised broadcasts, event coordination, and an overall infusion of new energy and excitement into the event.

Humans are, by nature, creatures of habit. We take the same routes to and from work. We shop at the same stores. We dine at the same restaurants. But sometimes, the biggest thrill is to change it up and try something new. Moving the NFL Scouting Combine to Los Angeles would give NFL West Coast teams a chance to enjoy closer proximity to the action, would create new interactions within the NFL and NFLPA, and would expose many NFL hopefuls to parts of the country that they have never seen before.