http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/goodell-pleased-with-stadium-progress-in-st-louis/article_b18b1205-e4ff-5ddf-89f7-c0f1fc75490b.html
PHOENIX • As the NFL wrapped up its annual owners meetings Wednesday, commissioner Roger Goodell said he was happy with the progress made on the St. Louis stadium plan.
But that progress may have to come at an accelerated pace because the league is considering moving up the relocation schedule, potentially with an eye on having at least one team in Los Angeles by 2016.
As for St. Louis, Goodell said: “I’ve spoken to the governor (Jay Nixon). Our staff has been there with Dave Peacock. They’ve done a really good job of formulating a plan.
“They have a great site. They have a site that I think is important for St. Louis to redevelop. I think it’s a perfect stadium site, as the governor told me. And I think they’re working towards making it a reality.
“And that’s a positive. The efforts that are going on there are very positive.”
The question remains, will progress on the St. Louis riverfront stadium project on the north edge of downtown come quickly enough before Rams owner Stan Kroenke bolts for Los Angeles?
Along those lines, Goodell said Wednesday that the league has had discussions on the committee level about moving up the timetable for relocation following the 2015 season.
“We’ve had some discussions within our (Los Angeles opportunity) committee,” Goodell said. “Whether that time frame — if there was a relocation — whether that’s the appropriate time frame to do so. There’s a lot to do when you relocate a franchise.”
Currently, the next window for the Rams — and for that matter, the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers — to file for relocation is Jan. 1 through Feb. 15 of 2016. The league is considering moving up that window to the fall of 2015.
Proceeding earlier, Goodell said, would give relocating teams a better opportunity to properly transition to a new marketplace.
“Which is the goal if there is a relocation,” Goodell said. “So that’s been discussed. We certainly have not come to any conclusion on that.”
But an earlier relocation window would make it more difficult for the three markets trying to keep their teams — St. Louis, Oakland, and San Diego — to have their stadium plans finalized.
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