Eagan, Minn. – Monday night’s Wild Card game between the Vikings and Los Angeles Rams will be played in Arizona, the NFL announced Thursday.
The postseason contest initially was scheduled for SoFi Stadium, as the Rams won the NFC West division to earn home-field advantage for the first round. The decision to relocate was not taken lightly and is being made considering the multiple wildfires that have left chaos and destruction in their wake.
This is not the first time an NFL game has been relocated due to weather conditions; and as Vikings fans know, it’s not even the first time — or second time — a Vikings game has been relocated for that reason.
In 2010, two of the Vikings scheduled home games were displaced after the Dec. 11 Metrodome roof collapse. Minnesota’s game against the Giants was initially slated for Sunday, Dec. 12, but was rescheduled to Monday night at Ford Field in Detroit. The following week, the Vikings hosted their game against the Bears at the University of Minnesota.
They likely thought they dodged any additional changes with a Dec. 26 game scheduled at Philadelphia, but an impending East Coast blizzard postponed that matchup to Tuesday night; it at least remained in Philly.
The Vikings also had a game relocated in 1969, though not due to weather. That matchup with the Packers was moved to Memorial Stadium at the U of M because of the MLB playoffs and the fact the Vikings shared Metropolitan Stadium with the Twins.
Other games over NFL history have been relocated due to hurricane damage, snowstorms and an earthquake. Postponements have taken place for the same reasons, as well as venue conflicts or national tragedies (the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, and the 1963 assassination of President John F. Kennedy).
There have been playoff games postponed due to weather, most recently last season’s Wild Card matchup between the Steelers and Bills that was rescheduled from Sunday to Monday in Buffalo because of a snowstorm. During the 2016 postseason, the Chiefs-Steelers Divisional game was postponed a day for the same reason.
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