NFL Creates Planning Committee to Review Los Angeles Stadium Options

The NFL may not have an immediate plan of action to put a team in Los Angeles, but that's not stopping it from establishing contingency plans in case something should happen.

According to a league memo obtained by Sam Farmer of the Los Angeles Times (h/t ESPN), NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has put together a committee that will oversee various options in the event a team looks to move to L.A.:

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The committee will "evaluate the various stadium options available in Los Angeles, oversee the application of the relocation guidelines in the event that one or more clubs seek to move to Los Angeles, ensure proper coordination with other standing committees … and confirm that all steps taken in Los Angeles are consistent with the Constitution and Bylaws and NFL policies."

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Per the memo, the committee is comprised of NFL team owners Clark Hunt (Kansas City), Robert Kraft (New England), John Mara (New York Giants), Bob McNair (Houston), Jerry Richardson (Carolina) and Art Rooney (Pittsburgh).

Farmer believes this makes it clear that the NFL "has no intention of straying from protocol and allowing a club to unilaterally decide" if a team decides to make a move to Los Angeles.

According to The Associated Press, via ESPN, if a current team wants to move to L.A., it will require "a three-fourths vote of the teams," or 24 out of 32 votes.

There has been speculation about the NFL moving to Los Angeles for years, with things picking up steam in January when Rams owner Stan Kroenke announced plans to build an 80,000-seat football stadium in the city.

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This new committee will ensure that any current owner, whether it's Kroenke or not, will have to go through the league protocol before a move can happen. It's a good step for the NFL to take so that an individual owner doesn't feel like he holds all the cards.

As for the NFL, there's no doubt that having a franchise in Los Angeles would be good for business. It's a huge media market where celebrities live, so it's easy marketing for the league. The popularity of football in this country, however, does suggest the sport doesn't need L.A. to succeed.

Whatever becomes of the NFL and Los Angeles, there at least appear to be steps taken toward establishing the necessary structure to make sure any moves made are done with the majority support of the league's owners.