Vikings-Rams wild-card game moved to Arizona amid Los Angeles fires

The game will no longer take place at the Rams' home SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.

Fans gather outside of State Farm Stadium before the Penn State Nittany Lions play the Boise State Broncos at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl in Glendale on Dec. 31, 2024. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Monday night's wild-card game between the Minnesota Vikings and Los Angeles Rams has been relocated from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., amid the fires that have ravaged Los Angeles.

The NFL announced the decision, which was made "in consultation with public officials, the participating clubs and the NFLPA," Thursday night. It will remain a 7 p.m. kickoff and the game will still be televised on ESPN and ABC.

The NFL reversed course after issuing a statement Wednesday stating the game would go on as scheduled as SoFi Stadium, though the league was continuing to monitor the situation and listed State Farm Stadium as a contingency plan.

Vikings defensive tackle Harrison Phillips had expressed concerns about the game taking place in Inglewood earlier Thursday as the fires continued to expand. Shortly after, smoke could be seen coming from the northwest of the Rams' practice facility, which is approximately 25 miles northwest of SoFi Stadium, and the team canceled locker room access to allow players to get home as many live in the area. Thousands of homes had burned in greater L.A. as of Thursday.

In its statement, the NFL said tickets for Rams season-ticket holders will go on sale at noon CT on SeatGeek Friday and 2 p.m. for the general public. The league said more information about ticket sales will be available as soon as possible.