Glendale prepares for last-minute NFL playoff at State Farm Stadium

The Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings are set to play at State Farm Stadium in Glendale for their playoff game on Monday after a relocation due to the Southern California wildfires.

The game was originally going to be played at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, but it was moved in the "interest of public safety."

Jose Santiago, a spokesperson for the Glendale Department of Public Safety, said the city had already prepared its special events team before the NFL officially made the announcement Thursday night.

"They start putting together plans as far as traffic, ingress, regress, as well as make sure that all the lights are timed accordingly, making sure that we have enough officers to direct traffic, things of that nature," Santiago said. "So once we got the greenlight, everything went into play."

Hosting major football games is not foreign to State Farm Stadium and the surrounding city of Glendale. While the Arizona Cardinals have not seen a playoff game in nine years, The Fiesta Bowl has been played at State Farm Stadium since 2007, with the recent game on Dec. 31.

The stadium also hosted three Super Bowl games, with the previous taking place in 2023.

"We're used to hosting large-scale events," Santiago said. "Sometimes, those large-scale events come without warning.”

Santiago said the best advice he could give to incoming visitors is to "pack their patience," as the surrounding area — Westgate Entertainment District and Desert Diamond Arena — is very busy.

Visitors can use transportation methods like ride-booking services to avoid worrying about parking, Santiago said.

"It already has large amount of crowds to begin with, and then you add a major event like a football game and that just makes it even more crowded," Santiago said. "You want to make sure that you're allowing yourself plenty of time get to and from the stadium."

Fire and Medical Services will be present during the playoff game as well. John Chester, a spokesperson for the Glendale Fire Department, said the city excels at handling last-minute events.

"We are ready, and we are prepared to respond to those incidents," Chester said. "This is what we do. This is our bread and butter."

The game starts on Monday with kick-off expected at 6 p.m. Tickets went on sale at noon for the general public this Friday morning.