Super Bowl 2022: NFL announces date for championship at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- The NFL has confirmed a date for the 2022 Super Bowl in Los Angeles - an event that will showcase the new $5 billion SoFi Stadium and bring a needed boost to the local economy.

Super Bowl LVI will be held on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022 at the Inglewood stadium which serves as home to the Rams and Chargers.

Sofi opened for football in September 2020, but fans have not been allowed to attend games during the pandemic.

With COVID-19 case rates on the decline and vaccination increasing throughout Southern California and nationwide, it is expected fans will be allowed back for the 2021-22 season.

The NFL championship typically provides an economic boost to businesses throughout the host region, particularly hotels, bars, restaurants and the tourism industry.

"The Super Bowl will be among the first major events to take place in Los Angeles in a post-pandemic world," saidKathryn Schloessman, Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission President & CEO.

"It will symbolize not just a comeback, but an event that is helping put people back to work, especially those in our region's restaurant and hospitality industries who were hit especially hard by the pandemic."

RELATED: NFL expanding regular season to 17 games

The NFL announced a new set of national television deals Thursday, which keeps games on ESPN/ABC, Fox, CBS, NBC, Amazon and NFL Network through the 2033 season. ABC picks up two Super Bowls during the deal, the first in 2026.

SoFi has 70,000 seats, but has the capacity to fit up to 100,000 people.

The last Super Bowl hosted in Los Angeles was in 1993, when it was held at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Dallas Cowboys beat the Buffalo Bills 52-17.

The very first Super Bowl was also hosted here, in 1967 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Green Bay Packers beat the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in Super Bowl I.

Fans of both the Rams and Chargers have high hopes for the upcoming season.

The Rams, who made the Super Bowl in 2019 and currently boast one of the top defensive rosters in the league, acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions in the offseason.

The Chargers offense will be led by second-year QB Justin Herbert, who exceeded expectations in his first season by throwing 31 touchdowns - breaking the league record for a rookie. The Chargers also hired a new coach in January, Brandon Staley, who was previously defensive coordinator for the Rams.

Note: The video in the media player above is from the September 2020 ribbon-cutting ceremony for SoFi Stadium.