The future home of Tottenham Hotspur F.C. might not confined to soccer, as planners are putting forth a vision that includes Premier League and NFL games on the same day.
Set to open in 2018, the new stadium is part of the Northumberland Development Project and touts several soccer-specific amenities. At 61,000 seats, it would be one of the largest stadiums in London. There are also several other fan experience features that are expected to be included, such as WI-FI accessibility throughout the facility and a variety of clubs and lounges.
The design and features of the stadium have made it notable within the Premier League, but it seeks to host more than Tottenham Hotspur F.C. action. According to Tottenham Hotspur F.C. chairman Daniel Levy, the field and seating bowl have been designed in such a way that the stadium can seamlessly transition from soccer to football.
In fact, Levy and NFL vice chairman Mark Waller are going as far as to say that, after a few years of operation, the stadium might be ready to host both the Premier League and the NFL on the same day. More from SkySports.com:
“One of the idle thoughts we have at the moment is, would you really be able to play an NFL game and an EPL game on the same day as a doubleheader?” Waller said.
“It wouldn’t be absolutely out of the question. I don’t think you’d want to do it on a regular basis, but on a unique feature, that might be a really interesting idea.”
Levy added: “I don’t think it’s something we’d want to try for our first game, but that is certainly realistic. How exciting the idea of having the two biggest leagues in the world from a television perspective – fantastic – play on the same day.”
As evidenced by the MLS, there is a precedent for sharing stadium’s–in some cases for the long term–with NFL teams. However, pulling off a game for both sports on the same day will likely take some ingenuity when it comes to both design and operations. Tottenham Hotspur F.C.’s stadium may not be able to pull off this feat early on, but perhaps a soccer-football doubleheader is in its future.
Talk of an NFL team permanently relocating to London permanently has been quiet of late. However, the league has already committed to playing annual regular season games at the facility once it opens.