Ever since the NFL began staging annual games in London, back in 2007, the football pitch hosting American football has always been Wembley Stadium. Which makes sense. Wembley holds 80,000 people, and its London location allows it to function as England's national stadium.
But beginning in 2018, The League will have a new home in the UK. The NFL announced Tuesday plans to partner with Tottenham Hotspur, a London football club, to play its International Series games as the to-be-named arena.
Added the NFL's release: "Both sports will have dedicated facilities ensuring that the new stadium, designed with a focus on atmosphere, will deliver the optimum experience for both teams and fans. It will be one of the most environmentally sustainable in the UK and also include a clear focus on accessibility via public transportation."
The new agreement solidifies the NFL's London initiative, and provides an obvious landing spot for whatever franchise (Jaguars?) eventually moves there.
"We are already working very closely with the NFL, including on plans to get more Londoners involved in the sport, and we believe that building on the success of NFL at Wembley by staging more games in an area of the city that has been earmarked for a massive program of economic regeneration and investment makes perfect sense," said London mayor Boris Johnson. "Touchdowns in Tottenham can only add to our reputation as a global sporting powerhouse, and help us take another step towards our goal of having a permanent NFL franchise here in London."
With one - or two - teams moving to Los Angeles in the near future, a dedicated London facility will take LA's place as the leverage every franchise with eyes on a new stadium uses against its own municipality.