The Los Angeles Rams played their final game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Sunday before moving to SoFi Stadium in 2020, which is under construction at the former site of the Hollywood Park racetrack in Inglewood.
“I will miss playing in the Coliseum,” Rams quarterback Jared Goff said after completing 29 of 45 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns in the 31-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals that improved their record to 9-7.
“I’m really excited for SoFi. What (owner) Mr. (E. Stanley) Kroenke has done there and created there is going to be something that I don’t think the world has ever seen. It’ll be a lot of fun, but I will miss the Coliseum and will miss the history of it, the lighting of the torch, the fireworks, the whole thing.
“The fans, the fanbase we’ve built here, how much louder it was this year compared to my first year and just seeing it grow is really cool. That’s the biggest part I’ll miss.”
Ram players wore a patch on their uniform featuring the outline of the Coliseum’s peristyle arch and torch in the Rams’ colors of blue, yellow and white. Limited edition merchandise featuring the patch will be available at the team store.
The end zone design was inspired by the 1951 NFL championship game, in which the Rams defeated the Cleveland Browns, 24-17, for their only championship in Los Angeles.
Fans took the field following the game to watch a season-in-review video followed by a fireworks show.
The Rams began playing at the Coliseum in 1946, moving from Cleveland, where they won the 1945 NFL championship. They remained at the Coliseum through 1979 before moving to the then-Anaheim Stadium.
The Rams moved to St. Louis in 1995, then returned to the Coliseum in 2016. The game before a crowd announced at 68,665 was the Rams’ 38th at the Coliseum since their return and concluded their 38th season at the stadium.