• Loading stock data...
Thursday, July 3, 2025

Gavin Newsom Reveals Status of 2028 Olympics As Los Angeles Wildfires Roar

California governor Gavin Newsom appeared on NBC’s TODAY show and was adamant about rebuilding Los Angeles in time to host the World Cup, Super Bowl, and Olympics.

USA TODAY

As wildfires continue to rage in Los Angeles, sports are understandably taking a back seat.

The Rams moved their playoff game against the Vikings on Monday night from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium in Arizona, and the Lakers, Clippers and Kings have all postponed games.

Nevertheless, with Southern California set to host eight World Cup matches in 2026, the Super Bowl in 2027, and the Olympics in 2028, the topic of whether Los Angeles will have the capacity for these large-scale sporting events will be coming into focus soon. 

In an interview with NBC’s TODAY show over the weekend, California governor Gavin Newsom was asked about these events continuing in Los Angeles – and was adamant the show must go on. 

“My humble position, and it’s not just being naively optimistic, that only reinforces the imperative [of] moving quickly, doing it in the spirit of collaboration and cooperation,” Newsom said.

“Donald Trump, to his credit, was helpful in getting the Olympics to the United States of America, to get it down here in LA. We thank him for that. This is an opportunity for him to shine, for this country to shine, for California and this community to shine—all that opportunity and that pride and spirit that comes not just from hosting those three iconic games and venues, but also the opportunity, I think, to rebuild at the same time. 

“That’s why we’re already organizing a Marshall Plan, and we already have a team looking at reimagining LA 2.0.”

The Marshall Plan was the United States’ economic plan to rebuild Europe after World War II. Los Angeles has been working on a substantial expansion of its public transit system in an effort to prepare for 2028.

Potentially complicating matters, the UCLA campus, which is slated to be the home of the Olympic Village in 2028, is in the vicinity of the fire that has ravaged the Pacific Palisades. 

Riviera Country Club, where the Olympic golf competition will be held, is also nearby. 

Conservative pundits have already opined that the Olympics should be moved elsewhere in the country.

“The Los Angeles Olympics should be cancelled,” Charlie Kirk wrote on X this past Friday.

“If you can’t fill a fire hydrant, you aren’t qualified to host the Olympics. Move them to Dallas, or Miami, so the world’s athletes can compete in a place capable of actually safely building and running something.”

Penn State professor Mark Dyerson suggested to the New York Post that the games could be moved back to Paris, which hosted the Olympics last year, if the infrastructure challenges are too onerous for Los Angeles to overcome.

Dyerson recalled that, ironically, the Olympics were moved from Paris to Los Angeles in 1924 when the former faced massive floods. 

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NHL to Rejoin Olympic Ice in Milan—and NBC Set to Cash In

NHL players last competed in the Olympics in 2014.
Sophie Cunningham

WNBA Expansion Decisions Show League Prioritizes North, NBA Ties

One player ripped the league for its geographic choices.

Featured Today

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble
June 28, 2025

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.
June 27, 2025

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena
June 26, 2025

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.
Jun 13, 2018; Moscow, Russia; A general view of a beer stand inside of Luschniki Stadium one day prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Saudi Arabia Says No Alcohol at 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia won’t allow alcohol anywhere during the 2034 World Cup.
Paralympics Tiktok
August 25, 2024

The Wildly Successful Paralympics TikTok Account Isn’t What You Think

A cheeky TikTok account is opening the world of Paralympic sports.
August 30, 2024

Premier League Transfer Spending Has Already Topped $2 Billion As Deadline Looms

Saudi Pro League teams haven’t yet matched their English counterparts.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
August 11, 2024

Passing of the Torch: Los Angeles Set for Olympic Firsts in 2028

The city last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984.
August 1, 2024

Saudi Arabia Submits Bold World Cup Bid That Includes a Cliffside Arena

The Saudis are proposing a new stadium in a futuristic city called Neom.
John John Florence (USA) surfs in men’s round two competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach.
July 29, 2024

Olympic Surfers Won’t Get Their Full Paris Moment

‘We’re kind of separate off on our own little thing over here.’
Teahupo'o Tahiti Surfing
July 26, 2024

Olympic Surfing Crashes on Tahiti Like a Wave

For Teahupo‘o’s locals, the Olympics are a mixed blessing.