How Likely Is an All-LA Super Bowl Next February?

Seeing a cross-city rivalry in sports is always an extra special event. It’s termed a derby game in soccer parlance, such as the cheekily named El Tráfico between the two LA MLS clubs, LA Galaxy and Los Angeles FC. It’s a firm part of the fabric of sports fandom, and all major sports leagues are littered with such rivalries.

But what about city rivals in a championship game? It is a rare event. Sometimes it is just not possible, such as in the NBA, where the Finals are contested between Eastern and Western Conference teams divided by geography; the Lakers could never meet the Clippers. In baseball, it has happened no fewer than 16 times, mostly in the first half in the 20^th century when Babe Ruth was in a New York Yankees uniform and the Dodgers still lived in Brooklyn. The last time it happened was in 2000, when the Yankees met the Mets in the grandest Subway Series in history.

As for football, it is possible, though it has yet to happen in the 60 years of the Super Bowl. Sometimes, you may get a Super Bowl between teams in the same state, such as Super Bowl XXV, which was contested between the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills, or the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers in 1995. But even that is a rare occurrence.

Is a Chargers-Rams Super Bowl Possible?

Thus, when we talk about a possible all-Los-Angeles Super Bowl next February, it seems statistically unlikely. And yet, if we were to select any year to consider it a possibility, this upcoming NFL season stands out as a strong candidate.

Going into the new season, the LA Rams are clear favorites for Super Bowl LXI with NFL sportsbooks online. Their aggressive offseason sees a stacked roster, with most pundits agreeing that the Rams have the strongest case going forward. Everyone could be wrong, of course, and being the favorite does not give anyone a straight pathway to the Super Bowl, but the Rams really look like the team to beat.

The Chargers Have Been Quietly Backed

And then there’s the Chargers, a team also placed among the preseason favorites, ranked about 6^th overall with some sportsbooks. The Chargers’ case is not just as strong as the Rams’, but there is a sense that this is a team that people are sleeping on. A lot will depend on quarterback Justin Herbert, a player who has never won a postseason game. Yet, Herbert is coming into his prime at 28, has been healthy for two seasons, and he will learn from those playoff defeats over the past few seasons.

The cherry on top, though, is that the Super Bowl will be played at SoFi Stadium, i.e., the home stadium of the two LA teams. That would certainly make the occasion extra special if they were to get there. The big game is on Valentine’s Day 2027, too.

Of course, this is something that has not been achieved in 60 years, so this is far from a prediction. But there are two very good LA teams going into the new NFL season, one of whom is considered a strong favorite for the championship. It is unlikely, but it is far from impossible.