One year ago this week, the NFL moved the Monday Night Football game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Los Angeles Rams from Mexico City to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum because of poor field conditions at Estadio Azteca.
But after additional resources were put into improving those conditions at Estadio Azteca, this year’s Monday night game in Mexico City between the Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers will go on as scheduled on Nov. 18, according to officials familiar with the situation.
This is due, at least in part, to a concerted effort from the NFL to improve the field conditions.
This past spring, Estadio Azteca hired a field consultant recommended by the NFL who has been overseeing the field. It installed a new pipe drainage system, sand gravel base and irrigation system. In mid-June, new sod was installed.
There have been no concerts planned at Estadio Azteca from August through November, and the stadium has not hosted a soccer game since Nov. 2. Last year, soccer games and concerts, coupled with a significant amount of rainfall, left the field “a mess,” according to sources.