How the Rams Left St. Louis: The Land, the Emails, the Votes and the $790 Million Reckoning
THE RAMS RELOCATION TIMELINE
How a stadium dispute in St. Louis became a 29-month NFL power struggle over Los Angeles
2013 — THE LOS ANGELES PLAN BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE
Early summer 2013 — Kroenke discovers Inglewood
People involved: Stan Kroenke, Kevin Demoff, Jerry Jones
According to later ESPN reporting, Kroenke drove around the Hollywood Park area in Inglewood early one morning and became convinced the property could accommodate an NFL stadium.
Kroenke reportedly called Rams COO Kevin Demoff and described the site as an “unbelievable site” for a football stadium.
ESPN later reported that Kroenke also discussed the site with Jerry Jones.
Why it matters: This is one of the most important pieces of the chronology because it places Kroenke's interest in Inglewood well before the public relocation fight of 2015–16.
August 27, 2013 — Kroenke and Dean Spanos meet privately
Kroenke and Chargers executive Dean Spanos met at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills.
According to ESPN's later reconstruction, the two discussed Los Angeles and Kroenke's interest in Inglewood.
At this point, there was no formal NFL relocation application.
But the two men were already discussing what an NFL return to Los Angeles might look like.
Significance: This is effectively the opening chapter of the eventual Rams-Chargers battle.
2014 — THE LAND PURCHASE
January 9, 2014 — Kroenke acquires Inglewood property
Kroenke's organization acquired approximately 60 acres in Inglewood near the former Hollywood Park racetrack and the Forum.
A Kroenke-controlled entity conducted the transaction.
The purchase immediately generated speculation that the Rams could eventually move back to Los Angeles.
January 31, 2014 — Roger Goodell publicly downplays the purchase
At his annual Super Bowl news conference, Goodell was asked about Kroenke's acquisition.
Goodell said Kroenke was a major real-estate developer and stated:
“There are no plans, to my knowledge, of a stadium development.”
Goodell also emphasized that any stadium would require multiple NFL ownership approvals.
Important distinction: Goodell did not say Kroenke wasn't interested in Los Angeles. He said there were no stadium plans “to my knowledge.”
That wording became significant in hindsight.
February 2014 — Rams' public position
The Rams continued publicly emphasizing their commitment to St. Louis.
The St. Louis lawsuit later argued that Kroenke and Demoff were making statements that were inconsistent with what the organization was privately planning.
The Rams disputed that interpretation.
Late 2014 — Chargers begin developing Carson
After learning more about Kroenke's Inglewood plans, the Chargers began pursuing a competing site in Carson.
According to ESPN's later reconstruction, Chargers officials presented their proposed entitlement strategy to NFL executive Eric Grubman in November 2014.
Some within the Chargers organization suspected Grubman was too close to the Rams' side.
That allegation was never established as a court finding.
December 2014 — NFL tells teams no 2015 relocation
The league informed clubs that no franchise would relocate for the 2015 season.
The Rams therefore remained in St. Louis for another year.
But the relocation window for 2016 remained open.
2015 — THE YEAR EVERYTHING CHANGED
January 5, 2015 — Kroenke unveils Inglewood stadium plan
This was arguably the moment the Rams' future stopped being theoretical.
Kroenke and Stockbridge Capital announced plans for an approximately 80,000-seat stadium in Inglewood as part of a massive Hollywood Park redevelopment.
The project was to be privately financed.
The NFL immediately reiterated that no team could relocate without approval from 75% of the league's owners.
Meanwhile in St. Louis...
January 9, 2015 — St. Louis unveils its counterattack
Just four days later, Missouri's stadium task force unveiled its proposed new St. Louis stadium.
The initial proposal called for:
approximately 64,000 seats
an open-air facility
a Mississippi River location
public ownership
an estimated cost of $860 million to $985 million
approximately 40% of the initial financing coming from Missouri taxpayers
The task force argued that the Rams could remain in St. Louis.
The timing could hardly have been more dramatic.
Los Angeles: privately financed stadium.
St. Louis: publicly supported stadium.
The two competing visions were now public.
February 2015 — Inglewood City Council approves stadium plan
The Inglewood City Council approved the redevelopment plan allowing Kroenke's stadium project to proceed.
The proposed development ultimately expanded into a roughly 298-acre sports and entertainment complex.
The stadium itself was envisioned as part of a much larger development involving housing, retail, entertainment, and other facilities.
This was no longer merely a stadium concept.
Kroenke was building an entire destination.
February 19, 2015 — Carson proposal announced
The Chargers and Raiders formally proposed a competing stadium in Carson.
Their project was estimated at roughly $1.7–$1.8 billion.
It would give Los Angeles two NFL teams under a shared-stadium arrangement.
The battle was now: Kroenke/Inglewood vs. Chargers/Raiders/Carson.
THE NFL FORMALIZES THE BATTLE
February–March 2015 — Goodell establishes the Los Angeles committee
Goodell formally created the Committee on Los Angeles Opportunities.
The six owners were:
Art Rooney II
Robert Kraft
John Mara
Clark Hunt
Bob McNair
Jerry Richardson
The committee was tasked with evaluating opportunities in Los Angeles.
Any actual relocation would still require a three-quarters vote of NFL ownership.
This becomes critically important later: the committee would eventually recommend Carson—only for the full ownership to reject that recommendation.
June 10, 2015 — NFL committee hears competing presentations
The Los Angeles committee met at NFL headquarters in New York.
The committee heard presentations on both Carson and Inglewood.
Eric Grubman was deeply involved in the process.
The NFL was simultaneously monitoring the stadium situations in:
St. Louis
San Diego
Oakland
The league was explicitly evaluating whether those markets could retain their teams.
August 11, 2015 — Chicago owners meeting
This was one of the most important meetings of the entire saga.
The entire NFL ownership group gathered outside Chicago for a special Los Angeles presentation.
Carson presents first.
The Carson group emphasized a two-team stadium and equal footing for the Chargers and Raiders.
Kroenke presents Inglewood.
Kroenke and Demoff presented their massive development.
According to ESPN's detailed reconstruction, Jones delivered an eight-minute, profanity-filled endorsement of Kroenke's vision.
Jones argued that whoever returned the NFL to Los Angeles needed to think big.
This was the moment Jones emerged as one of Kroenke's most important allies.
August 2015 — The “Jerry Tour” begins
Carolina owner Jerry Richardson became a leading advocate for Carson.
Jones pushed Inglewood.
The two men began lobbying fellow owners from opposite sides.
ESPN later described the battle as essentially becoming a contest between Jerry Jones and Jerry Richardson for ownership support.
Owners were calling one another.
Text messages were flying.
Private meetings were taking place.
Votes were being counted.
The Los Angeles stadium battle had become an internal NFL political war.
THE ST. LOUIS STADIUM FIGHT INTENSIFIES
Fall 2015 — St. Louis develops a roughly $1 billion stadium
St. Louis continued pursuing a new riverfront stadium.
The project eventually approached $1 billion or more.
The city's stadium task force worked to assemble financing, land, and corporate support.
October 2015 — National Car Rental deal
National Car Rental agreed to a 20-year, $158 million naming-rights agreement for the proposed St. Louis stadium, contingent on the Rams remaining in the city.
The stadium task force—not the Rams —negotiated the agreement.
This was significant because St. Louis was still actively spending money and attracting private investment while the Los Angeles battle was escalating.
October 2015 — St. Louis financing vote
St. Louis approved another critical component of public financing for the proposed stadium.
The NFL became increasingly concerned about the financing structure.
St. Louis had proposed increasing the NFL's contribution to approximately $300 million.
Goodell objected.
According to ESPN, Goodell sent a letter stating that the NFL's stadium financing program generally provided a maximum of $200 million.
This became a major St. Louis allegation:
Why was $300 million supposedly unavailable to St. Louis when the league was discussing substantial stadium assistance elsewhere?
The NFL disputed the characterization that it was unfairly treating St. Louis.
NOVEMBER 2015 — THE FINAL POWER STRUGGLE
November 4, 2015 — Kroenke calls Goodell
According to ESPN's later reconstruction, Kroenke spoke with Goodell as the Carson proposal gained momentum.
Kroenke was furious that the Chargers could use his Inglewood development after he had spent millions developing it.
ESPN reported that Kroenke told Goodell:
“I've been out there, spending millions...”
The dispute centered on whether Kroenke would be forced into a partnership with the Chargers.
November 11, 2015 — Bob Iger joins Carson
Disney chairman Bob Iger became involved with the Carson project.
His involvement dramatically strengthened Carson's credibility.
Iger had enormous relationships throughout the NFL.
Goodell reportedly viewed Iger's involvement as potentially a “game changer.”
For a while, Carson appeared capable of defeating Kroenke.
November 2015 — Owner vote estimates become the obsession
According to ESPN's reconstruction:
Carson appeared to have roughly 18 votes.
Inglewood alone had only about seven.
24 were required.
That meant neither side could win alone.
Kroenke needed partners.
Carson needed additional owners.
And everyone knew the January vote was coming.
November 27, 2015 — Kroenke offers to share Inglewood
Kroenke sent a letter agreeing to allow another team to share his Inglewood stadium.
This was a major concession.
ESPN reported that Jerry Jones encouraged the concession because he believed Kroenke couldn't reach 24 votes on his own.
The political calculation changed.
Instead of:
Rams vs. Chargers/Raiders
the potential solution became:
Rams + Chargers in Inglewood
against
Chargers + Raiders in Carson.
DECEMBER 2015 — THE ENDGAME
December 2015 — Back-channel negotiations accelerate
Owners and executives were communicating constantly.
According to ESPN:
owners called one another
votes were being traded
stadium financing was discussed
conference/division alignment was discussed
future ownership issues were discussed
owners attempted to determine what the other 31 teams would support
This was no longer simply a stadium evaluation.
It was an NFL-wide negotiation.
December 17, 2015 — Final Rams game in St. Louis
The Rams played their final game in St. Louis against Tampa Bay.
The franchise's 21-year St. Louis era was effectively ending.
The formal relocation decision had not yet been made.
But the organization's future was already overwhelmingly focused on Los Angeles.
JANUARY 2016 — THE FINAL 72 HOURS
January 4, 2016 — All three teams file relocation applications
The Rams, Chargers and Raiders formally submitted relocation applications to the NFL.
All three sought permission to move to Los Angeles.
The Rams' application became particularly controversial in St. Louis because it reportedly ran 29 pages and presented a detailed case for why the market could no longer adequately support the franchise.
January 10–11, 2016 — Houston becomes the battleground
NFL owners gathered in Houston.
The competing proposals were now clear:
Inglewood
Stan Kroenke / Rams
Carson
Chargers / Raiders
The question wasn't whether Los Angeles was coming back.
It was:
Which teams would go, and where would they play?
January 11, 2016 — Last-minute proposal
According to ESPN's reconstruction, league officials sent the Chargers and Raiders a proposal for one of them to join the Rams in Inglewood.
The proposal was based on an idea pushed by Jerry Jones.
The battle had entered its final hours.
JANUARY 12, 2016 — THE DAY ST. LOUIS LOST THE RAMS
9:00 a.m. — Ownership meeting begins
The 32 NFL clubs began the Los Angeles relocation meeting.
The Carson group presented.
Robert "Bob" Iger and Dean Spanos made the case for Carson.
The Rams then presented the Inglewood proposal.
The Los Angeles committee votes 5-1 for Carson
The NFL's official Los Angeles committee recommended Carson.
This included five votes for Carson and one against.
The recommendation was a major blow to Kroenke, but it wasn't binding.
The full ownership still had the final vote.
Owners vote 19-13 for a secret ballot
This was the procedural earthquake.
Rather than openly voting, the owners chose a secret ballot.
19-13.
The secrecy mattered because owners could now abandon the committee's recommendation without publicly confronting fellow owners.
First major ballot: Inglewood wins 21-11
The first secret ballot produced:
Inglewood: 21
Carson: 11
The result stunned many owners.
The committee had just recommended Carson.
The full ownership preferred Inglewood by a substantial margin.
Kroenke was suddenly three votes away.
Private negotiations begin
Goodell, Grubman, Kraft, Hunt, McNair, Mara and representatives from the competing sides worked toward a compromise.
ESPN reported that Kraft, Hunt, McNair and Mara led negotiations while Goodell largely listened.
The basic compromise:
Rams → Inglewood
Chargers → one-year option to join
Raiders → option if Chargers decline
The league would also provide additional financial assistance to the Chargers and Raiders for stadium efforts in their home markets.
THE FINAL VOTE — 30-2
Later that day, the ownership finally voted.
Rams relocation: APPROVED
30 YES
2 NO
The Rams were going back to Los Angeles.
NFL.com reported that the Rams would eventually play in Kroenke's proposed Inglewood stadium.
The Chargers received a one-year option to join.
THE DAY AFTER
January 13, 2016 — Los Angeles wakes up to the Rams' return
The Rams' Los Angeles offices were suddenly covered with newspaper headlines announcing the franchise's return.
After 21 seasons in St. Louis, the franchise was headed home.
Kroenke had won.
Jones had helped push the Inglewood compromise through.
The NFL had returned to Los Angeles.
St. Louis had lost its team.
2016–2017 — THE AFTERSHOCK
2016 — Rams play in Los Angeles Coliseum
The Rams temporarily played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum while the Inglewood project was developed.
December 2016 — Jeff Fisher makes a revealing statement
Former Rams coach Jeff Fisher later said that when he was hired in 2012, he had considered both Los Angeles and St. Louis because he knew a relocation was potentially coming.
ESPN reported his statement as part of its examination of St. Louis' lawsuit.
That became potentially significant evidence for St. Louis.
If the coach was told as early as 2012 that a relocation was pending, it potentially supported the city's argument that the Rams' Los Angeles strategy predated the formal relocation process by several years.
Again, this was evidence St. Louis could use—not a judicial finding that the Rams had already decided to leave in 2012.
2017 — ST. LOUIS GOES TO COURT
April 2017 — Lawsuit filed
St. Louis City, St. Louis County and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority sued:
the NFL
the Rams
Stan Kroenke
and the league's other clubs
The lawsuit alleged that the defendants violated the NFL's relocation policy and misled St. Louis as the Rams prepared to leave.
2018 — THE NFL FAILS TO END THE CASE
2018 — Missouri appellate court rejects arbitration argument
Kroenke and the Rams argued that the case should go to arbitration.
The Missouri Court of Appeals rejected that argument.
The court's decision matters because it reproduced key portions of the NFL's own relocation rules.
The NFL Constitution and Bylaws required a three-fourths ownership vote for relocation.
They also stated that a club's primary obligation was to advance the NFL's interests in its home city and that enhanced revenue elsewhere did not automatically entitle a club to relocate.
That language became central to St. Louis' lawsuit.
2019 — DISCOVERY PRODUCES THE EMAILS
2019 — Carson-related email emerges
Discovery reportedly produced an email from an official associated with the Carson project that outlined ways the Rams appeared to be violating the NFL's relocation policy.
The email effectively gave St. Louis lawyers a blueprint for their legal arguments.
ESPN reported that the discovery enraged Rams and NFL officials.
This was potentially one of the most important pieces of evidence in the entire case.
Why?
Because it wasn't written by St. Louis attorneys trying to attack the NFL.
It originated from the competing Los Angeles side.
2020 — SOFI STADIUM
September 2020 — SoFi Stadium opens
Kroenke's vision becomes reality.
SoFi Stadium opens in Inglewood.
The Rams and Chargers ultimately become tenants in the same enormous facility.
The project, once a controversial real-estate proposition in 2013, is now one of the NFL's signature venues.
2021 — THE NFL'S LEGAL NIGHTMARE
Summer/Fall 2021 — Owners ordered to produce financial records
St. Louis sought financial information from NFL owners to establish potential damages.
Among the owners ordered to provide records were:
Stan Kroenke
Jerry Jones
Robert Kraft
John Mara
Clark Hunt
Jerry Richardson
The discovery fight became increasingly uncomfortable for the league.
October 2021 — Indemnification fight explodes
The NFL had required the Rams, Chargers and Raiders to sign indemnification agreements during the relocation process.
Kroenke had been paying most of the legal expenses arising from the St. Louis case.
But his attorneys challenged the scope of his obligations.
That produced a furious owners' meeting.
According to ESPN:
Kroenke defended his actions
Jerry Jones defended Kroenke
Roger Goodell asked Kroenke to leave the room
Jeff Pash explained the league's position
Robert Kraft argued that Kroenke's position was unfair
John Mara reminded the owners that they wouldn't have approved the relocation without the indemnification agreement
The irony was enormous. The owners who had voted 30-2 to approve the move were now fighting among themselves over the financial consequences.
NOVEMBER 2021 — THE $790 MILLION SETTLEMENT
November 24, 2021
The NFL and Stan Kroenke agreed to pay $790 million to settle the St. Louis lawsuit.
The trial had been scheduled for January 10, 2022.
The lawsuit sought more than $1 billion.
The settlement ended the case without a jury verdict.
There was:
No admission of wrongdoing.
No finding that Goodell conspired against St. Louis.
No finding that Jerry Jones illegally manipulated the vote.
No finding that Kroenke had secretly decided to leave years earlier.
There was also:
No jury verdict rejecting those allegations.
The case simply ended.
THE MASTER TIMELINE AT A GLANCE
Date | Event | Why it mattered |
Summer 2013 | Kroenke examines Inglewood | Earliest documented stage of his LA stadium vision |
Aug. 27, 2013 | Kroenke meets Spanos | Early private LA discussions |
Jan. 9, 2014 | Kroenke acquires Inglewood land | Physical foundation for future stadium |
Jan. 31, 2014 | Goodell downplays move | NFL publicly says purchase doesn't necessarily mean relocation |
Late 2014 | Chargers develop Carson | Competing LA strategy emerges |
Jan. 5, 2015 | Kroenke unveils Inglewood stadium | LA relocation becomes public |
Jan. 9, 2015 | St. Louis unveils new stadium | City's major attempt to save Rams |
Feb. 2015 | Inglewood stadium approved | Kroenke's project gains legal momentum |
Feb. 19, 2015 | Carson proposal announced | Two competing LA projects |
Spring 2015 | NFL creates LA committee | League formally manages relocation question |
June 10, 2015 | Committee hears proposals | NFL begins formal evaluation |
Aug. 11, 2015 | Chicago owners meeting | Jones strongly backs Kroenke |
Oct. 2015 | St. Louis stadium financing advances | City continues stadium effort |
Oct. 2015 | National Car Rental deal | $158M potential naming-rights agreement |
Nov. 4, 2015 | Kroenke/Goodell call | Partnership fight intensifies |
Nov. 11, 2015 | Iger joins Carson | Carson receives major boost |
Nov. 27, 2015 | Kroenke offers partnership | Jones pushes Inglewood compromise |
Dec. 17, 2015 | Final Rams game in St. Louis | End of 21-year St. Louis era |
Jan. 4, 2016 | Rams/Chargers/Raiders apply | Formal relocation process begins |
Jan. 11, 2016 | Last-minute Inglewood proposal | Jones-backed compromise gains momentum |
Jan. 12, 2016 | Committee votes 5-1 Carson | Official recommendation |
Jan. 12, 2016 | Owners vote 19-13 secret ballot | Process changes dramatically |
Jan. 12, 2016 | Inglewood wins 21-11 | Kroenke suddenly has dominant support |
Jan. 12, 2016 | Final vote 30-2 | Rams officially approved for LA |
2016 | Rams play at Coliseum | Temporary LA return |
2017 | St. Louis files lawsuit | NFL relocation process goes to court |
2018 | Missouri appeals court rejects arbitration | Case survives NFL challenge |
2019 | Carson email emerges in discovery | Potential evidence of relocation-policy concerns |
Sept. 2020 | SoFi Stadium opens | Kroenke's LA project becomes reality |
2021 | Owner financial discovery | Litigation reaches NFL ownership |
Oct. 2021 | Indemnification fight | Kroenke and NFL owners clash |
Nov. 24, 2021 | $790M settlement | Lawsuit ends without trial |
THE FIVE MOMENTS THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING
Looking at the entire chronology, five moments stand out—not as a ranking, but as distinct turning points:
1. Summer 2013 — Kroenke sees Inglewood as a stadium site. This is the earliest point in the documented chronology when the future destination starts to take shape.
2. January 2015 — Kroenke publicly unveils Inglewood. By then, Los Angeles was no longer merely an option being explored behind closed doors.
3. November 27, 2015 — Kroenke agrees to a potential partner. The Jones-backed compromise gave Inglewood a realistic path to 24 votes.
4. January 12, 2016 — The committee loses to the owners. The league's own Los Angeles committee recommended Carson 5-1; the full ownership subsequently voted 21-11 for Inglewood on the first major ballot and ultimately 30-2 for the Rams' relocation.
5. November 24, 2021 — The $790 million settlement. This ended what could have been the most revealing NFL relocation trial in league history.
The unresolved question
The timeline makes one thing particularly clear: the Rams' Los Angeles strategy existed well before January 2016. What the evidence does not definitively establish is the exact date on which Kroenke and the Rams made an irrevocable decision to leave St. Louis.
That distinction was at the heart of the St. Louis lawsuit—and because the $790 million settlement came before trial, no jury ever found on that question.
Comments