Georgia Frontiere (born Violet Frances Irwin ; November 21, 1927 – January 18, 2008) was an American businesswoman and entertainer. She was the majority owner and chairperson of the St. Louis Rams NFL team.
146-561: During her nearly three decades in charge (1979–2008), the Rams made the playoffs 14 seasons, played in 25 postseason games, won 13 postseason games, reached the Super Bowl three times and won the championship game once in the 1999 season. Her commitment to the team earned her the nickname "Madame Ram". Also a philanthropist , Frontiere created the St. Louis Rams Foundation, sat on the board of
292-665: A bracket tournament between the top four teams in the country as determined by a selection committee, which was established as a successor to the Bowl Championship Series and its similar BCS National Championship Game . Unlike the BCS championship, the participating teams in the College Football Playoff National Championship are determined by two semi-final bowls—hosted by two of the consortium's six member bowls yearly—and
438-660: A record unlikely to be seriously threatened anytime soon given the smaller seating capacities of today's baseball parks. In May 1959, an exhibition game between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees in honor of legendary catcher Roy Campanella drew 93,103, the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in the Western Hemisphere until a 2008 exhibition game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and
584-471: A Florida beach from an apparent heart attack. Some suspected foul play, although medical examiners found no evidence that his death was not due to natural causes. Upon her husband's death, Frontiere inherited a 70% ownership stake in the Los Angeles Rams. Rosenbloom's five children inherited the other 30%. Often dubbed the first female owner of an NFL franchise, the league reported that Frontiere
730-456: A Miami television producer. They were married for a short time. Later, she made appearances as part of NBC's "Today" show cast. She also performed as a nightclub singer in Miami. While living in Miami, Frontiere was introduced to the then Baltimore Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom (who was separated from his first wife) at a party hosted by Joseph Kennedy at his Palm Beach estate in 1957. Kennedy
876-564: A capacity of at least 65,000 spectators, and cities cannot host both a semi-final game and the title game in the same year. The winner of the game is awarded a new championship trophy instead of the "Crystal Football" , which has been given by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) since 1986; officials wanted a new trophy that was unconnected with the previous BCS championship system. The new College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy
1022-535: A champion at the NCAA Division II level. It was first held in 1973. Prior to 1973, four regional bowl games were played in order to provide postseason action for what was then called the "NCAA College Division" and a poll determined the final champion. The National Championship final was held at Sacramento, California from 1973 to 1975. It was in Wichita Falls, Texas in 1976 and 1977. The game
1168-661: A champion in the way they are used in North America. In the EFL Championship (the second tier of English football), teams finishing 3rd to 6th after the regular season compete to decide the third promotion spot to the Premier League . Evidence of playoffs in professional football dates to at least 1919, when the " New York Pro Championship " was held in Western New York (it is possible one
1314-542: A critical editorial "Every Sixth Hit a Homer!" Players also complained, with Milwaukee Braves ace Warren Spahn calling for a rule that would require any home run to travel at least 300 feet (91 m) before it could be considered a home run. Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick ordered the Dodgers to erect a 42 feet (12.8 m) screen in left field to prevent pop flies from becoming home runs. Its cables, towers, wires, and girders were in play. The "short porch" in left field looked extremely attractive to batters. In
1460-569: A feature of the qualification tournaments for the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA European Football Championship . In the qualification playoffs for the 2006 World Cup , for example: Later World Cup qualifying inter-confederation play-offs were held for 2010 , 2014 , 2018 and 2022 . CONCACAF Nations League and UEFA Nations League hold their respective finals to determine the overall winner at
1606-580: A finals series/playoff is standard in Australian sport. The Belgian First Division A (previously known as the "First Division" and "Pro League") has a fairly complex playoff system, currently consisting of two levels and at one time three. Since the 2009–10 season, playoffs have been held to determine the champion and tickets for the Champions League and Europa League. The six highest ranked teams play home-and-away matches against each other;
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#17327766217881752-418: A football gridiron, but the playing surface was just barely large enough to accommodate a baseball diamond. As a result, foul territory was almost nonexistent down the first base line, but was expansive down the third base line, with a very large backstop for the catcher. Sight lines also left much to be desired; some seats were as far as 710 feet (216 m) from the plate. Also, from baseball's point of view,
1898-501: A full list of 1932 and 1984 Olympic gold medalists (the complete roster of honorees can be seen below). For many years, the Coliseum was capable of seating over 100,000 spectators. In 1964, the stadium underwent its first major renovation in over three decades. Most of the original pale green wood-and-metal bench seating was replaced by individual theater-type chairs of dark red, beige and yellow; these seats remained until 2018, although
2044-409: A home run. However, the umpires ruled it a ground-rule double. The fans shook the screen, causing the ball to fall into the seats. The umpires changed the call to a homer, only to rule it a ground-rule double while Adcock was left stranded on second. The game was tied at the end of nine innings, and the Dodgers won in the tenth inning. At the end of the regular season, the Dodgers and Braves finished in
2190-470: A memorial to Los Angeles veterans of World War I . Completed in 1923, it will become the first stadium to have hosted the Summer Olympics three times when it hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics , previously hosting in 1932 and 1984 . It was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 27, 1984, a day before the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics . The stadium serves as the home of
2336-554: A one-off match against the fourth- or fifth-place team from the championship playoff (depending on available European slots) for the final Europa League place. In Brazil, the Copa do Brasil , the second most prestigious country-wide competition, is contested in pure "knockout" format since its inception in 1989. While the top two tiers in the Brazilian League – Série A and Série B – are contested in double round robin format,
2482-521: A playoff system to determine the champion of the season. When the Football League was first expanded to two divisions in 1892, test matches were employed to decide relegation and promotion between them, but the practice was scrapped in favour of automatic relegation and promotion in 1898. The use of play-offs to decide promotion issues returned to the League in 1986 with the desire to reduce
2628-551: A position affecting promotion, relegation, or European qualification. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Former The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the Los Angeles Coliseum or L.A. Coliseum ) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California , United States. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as
2774-400: A reduction in capacity of about 16,000 seats, with the final total at approximately 78,500 seats. The plans were met with mixed reactions from the public. The Los Angeles 2028 Olympic bid committee contemplated additional renovations to support its bid. On January 8, 2018, USC began the project to renovate and improve the Coliseum. The project, which was solely funded by the university,
2920-706: A reported valuation of $ 750 million. The Rams would return to Los Angeles after the 2015 NFL season . Throughout her career, Frontiere was devoted to a range of philanthropic causes. Speaking of Frontiere's endeavors, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, "Her philanthropic work was legendary and wide ranging." In 1991, Frontiere made a $ 1 million donation to the Fulfillment Fund, which provides support systems to help underprivileged students pursue higher education. This help often includes mentoring, college/career counseling centers, paying for Scholastic Aptitude tests and support groups on college campuses. Frontiere
3066-636: A rule, international association football has only had championship playoffs when a league is divided into several equal divisions, conferences or groups ( Premier League ) or when the season is split into two periods (as in many leagues in Latin America). In leagues with a single table done only once a year, as in most of Europe, playoff systems are not used to determine champions, although in some countries such systems are used to determine teams to be promoted to higher leagues (e.g., England) or qualifiers for European club competitions (such as Greece and
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#17327766217883212-417: A scoreboard and video screen that towered over the peristyle dating back to 1983; they replaced a smaller scoreboard above the center arch installed in 1972, which in turn supplanted the 1937 model, one of the first all-electric scoreboards in the nation. Over the years new light towers have been placed along the north and south rims. The large analog clock and thermometer over the office windows at either end of
3358-625: A series of relegation playoffs. The series starts with a knockout playoff that also consists entirely of two-legged matches. The winner of the playoff remains in the First League for the following season. The losing teams then enter the following series of two-legged promotion/relegation matches: With the creation of the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol in 2014 to replace the Primera División de Republica Dominicana , it introduced
3504-434: A significantly more extensive master lease agreement that transferred to USC the responsibility for the long-term management and operation of both the Coliseum and the adjacent BMO Stadium property and the capital renewal of the Coliseum. The 98-year agreement required the university to make approximately $ 100 million in initial physical repairs to the Coliseum. Additionally, it requires USC pay $ 1.3 million each year in rent to
3650-680: A stage manager at the Sacramento Music Circus; and to William J. Wyler, a Miami television personality. In 1957, she met her sixth husband, then-Baltimore Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom ; they had two children before marrying in 1966: Dale "Chip" Rosenbloom and Lucia Rosenbloom Rodriguez. Rosenbloom, who traded ownership of the Colts to Robert Irsay in exchange for his ownership stake in the Rams, died in 1979. In 1980, she married her seventh husband, composer Dominic Frontiere ; they divorced in 1988 but she kept his last name. She spent
3796-468: A tie. The Dodgers won the ensuing playoff and went on to win the World Series. Although less than ideal for baseball due to its poor sight lines and short dimensions (left field at 251 feet (77 m) and power alleys at 320 feet (98 m)), the Coliseum was ideally suited for large paying crowds. Each of the three games of the 1959 World Series drew over 92,000 fans, with game five drawing 92,706,
3942-520: A total of 10 matches each. The 6 participating teams start with the points accumulated during the regular competition divided by two. The first 3 teams after the play-offs get a European ticket. The fourth ranked team (or fifth, when the cup holder is already qualified for European football) plays a knock-out match against the winner of play-off 2. From 2009 to 2010 through 2015–16, teams ranked 7–14 played in two groups; from 2016 to 2017 forward, this playoff will continue to be contested in two groups, but with
4088-432: A total of 12 teams (details below). All points gained from the regular competition are lost. The two group winners play a final match to determine the winner of play-off 2. The winning team plays a final match against the fourth-ranked team (or fifth) for the last European ticket. The play-off system has been criticized because more points per match can be earned in the play-off stage than in the regular competition. This way
4234-452: A woman in a league dominated by men and for not being capable of running a football team, Frontiere quickly asserted control of the Rams, named John Shaw president, and addressed her detractors during her first press conference saying, "There are some who feel there are two different kinds of people — human beings and women." Her inheritance came as a surprise to many fans (though not to close friends and family) who thought Steve Rosenbloom ,
4380-462: Is sponsored by Dr Pepper , which paid an estimated $ 35 million for the sponsorship rights through 2020. The 26.5-inch high, 35-pound trophy was unveiled on July 14, 2014. The NCAA Division I Football Championship is an American college football tournament played each year to determine the champion of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Prior to 2006, the game
4526-404: Is the winner of that season's Bulgarian Cup, in which case it will not enter the playoff and the team that it would have played receives a bye into the playoff final). The winner of this playoff then contests a one-off match against the third-place (or fourth-place) team from the championship playoff, with the winner claiming the final Europa League place. The bottom two teams from each group begin
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4672-756: The Stagg Bowl , has been played annually in Salem , Virginia at Salem Football Stadium since 1993. It was previously played in Phenix City , Alabama at Garrett-Harrison Stadium (1973–1982, 1985–1989), at the College Football Hall of Fame , when the Hall was located in Kings Island , Ohio at Galbreath Field (1983–1984), and Bradenton , Florida at Hawkins Stadium (1990–1992). As
4818-703: The 1959 World Series . It was the site of the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (later called Super Bowl I ) and Super Bowl VII. Additionally, it has served as a home field for a number of other teams, including the 1960 inaugural season for the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL from 1982 to 1994 , and UCLA Bruins football . From 1959 to 2016, the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
4964-478: The 2008–09 season , the top four teams advanced to the finals series, employed using a modified Page playoff system . The top two teams at the end of league play were matched in one semifinal, with the winner advancing directly to the grand final and the loser going into the Preliminary Final. The next two teams played a semifinal for a place in the Preliminary Final, whose winner took the other place in
5110-636: The American Football League (AFL)'s Los Angeles Chargers played at the Coliseum before relocating to San Diego the next year; the team moved back to the L.A. area in 2017 . The United States men's national soccer team played its first match at the stadium in 1965, losing to Mexico in a 1966 World Cup qualifier. Also, the Los Angeles Wolves of the United Soccer Association played their home games at
5256-605: The Boston Red Sox to mark the 50th anniversary of MLB in Los Angeles. The Coliseum also hosted the second 1959 MLB All-Star Game . The Coliseum was also the site of John F. Kennedy 's memorable acceptance speech at the 1960 Democratic National Convention . It was during that speech that Kennedy first used the term "the New Frontier ". The Rams hosted the 1949 , 1951 and 1955 NFL championship games at
5402-600: The Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League relocated to the West Coast in 1958. The Dodgers played here until Dodger Stadium was completed in time for the 1962 season . Even allowing for its temporary status, the Coliseum was extremely ill-suited for baseball due to the fundamentally different sizes and shapes of football and baseball fields. A baseball field requires roughly 2.5 times more area than
5548-591: The Los Angeles Rams . During this time, the couple resided in Bel Air , California , and Frontiere became a part of the Los Angeles social scene, hosting numerous parties and philanthropic events. Frontiere was also known to entertain guests in a section near the owner's box at the Los Angeles Coliseum dubbed Georgia's Grandstand. In April 1979, Carroll Rosenbloom drowned while swimming off
5694-533: The North American Soccer League used the Coliseum as their home ground in 1977 and 1981. The Coliseum was also home to the USFL 's Los Angeles Express between 1983 and 1985. In this capacity, the stadium also is the site of the longest professional American football game in history: on June 30, 1984 (a few weeks before the start of the 1984 Summer Olympics), a triple-overtime game between
5840-673: The Rose Bowl in Pasadena in 1982 . In 1932, the Coliseum hosted the Summer Olympic Games , the first of two Olympic Games hosted at the stadium. The Coliseum served as the site of the field hockey , gymnastics , the show jumping part of the equestrian event, and track and field events, along with the opening and closing ceremonies. The 1932 games marked the introduction of the Olympic Village , as well as
5986-584: The Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Coliseum was also the site of the 1982 Speedway World Final , held for the first and only time in the United States. The event saw Newport Beach native Bruce Penhall retain the title he had won in front of 92,500 fans at London's Wembley Stadium in 1981 . An estimated 40,000 fans were at the Coliseum to see Penhall retain his title before announcing his retirement from motorcycle speedway to take up an acting role on
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6132-756: The Tennessee Titans to win Super Bowl XXXIV . The team was dubbed "the Greatest Show on Turf" because of its high scoring offense. The victory served as vindication for Frontiere in the face of criticism from fellow NFL owners and bitter Los Angeles fans. On the night of the victory, Frontiere expressed her desire to succeed, "From the time my late husband died, it has been a constant effort to do what he expected me to be able to do. He said: 'If anybody can, you can. You always stick to your ideas. And nobody pushes you around.'" Two years after
6278-457: The University of Minnesota , with the game being televised on ABC . After USC took over the Coliseum master lease in 2013, they began making plans for major renovations needed and as stipulated in the master lease agreement. On October 29, 2015, USC unveiled an estimated $ 270 million project for a massive renovation and restoration the Coliseum. The upgrades included: replacing all seats in
6424-857: The University of Southern California Trojans football team of the Big Ten Conference , and is located directly adjacent to the school's main University Park campus. The Coliseum is jointly owned by the State of California's Sixth District Agricultural Association, Los Angeles County , and the city of Los Angeles. It is managed and operated by the Auxiliary Services Department of the University of Southern California (USC). USC granted naming rights to United Airlines in January 2018. After concerns were raised by
6570-533: The "new/old" style, and all new ballparks since then have been allowed to set their own distances. Late that season, the screen figured in the National League pennant race. When the Braves were playing the Dodgers at the Coliseum on September 15, 1959, Joe Adcock hit a ball that cleared the screen but hit a steel girder behind it and got stuck in the mesh. According to ground rules, this should have been
6716-440: The 1984 games, burnable Olympic Rings and a 25-step hydraulic staircase were added inside in the front of the coliseum to allow the cauldron to be lit by lifting up the stairs to the burnable Olympic Rings, which brought the flame to the cauldron on top. The football field runs east to west with the press box on the south side of the stadium. The current jumbotrons to each side of the peristyle were installed in 2017, and replaced
6862-410: The 60% ownership stake in the team. In May 2010, the owners expressed that they hoped the team would be sold to longtime minority owner Stan Kroenke . Then on August 25, 2010, Kroenke received unanimous approval from league owners as the new owner of the Rams. Kroenke immediately bought half of the 60% share of the team held by Frontiere's children and later purchased the remaining half at a later date at
7008-864: The Belt." Frontiere also sat on the boards of the United Way of Greater St. Louis, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America, Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club, Saint Louis Symphony, and the American Foundation for AIDS Research. After Frontiere's death in 2008, the Rams renamed the Community Quarterback Awards the Georgia Frontiere Community Quarterback Awards. The program awards $ 20,000 to local non-profits in recognition of outstanding volunteer service. Since its inception,
7154-573: The Cold War had resulted in large-scale layoffs by defense contractors in Southern California). This and the extreme lack of fan support prompted her to move the team to her hometown of St. Louis. Lured by incentives like $ 20 million in annual profits from guaranteed season-ticket sales, personal seat licenses and a favorable lease at the $ 280-million Trans World Dome that was already in the process of being built, Frontiere transplanted
7300-736: The Coliseum Commission, which has public oversight of USC's management and operation of the Coliseum, the airline agreed to become the title sponsor of the playing field, naming it United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . The Coliseum was the home of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1979 , when they moved to Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim , and again from 2016 to 2019 , prior to
7446-618: The Coliseum for a year (1967) before moving to the Rose Bowl. In June 1970, the first Senior Olympics (known as the Senior Sports International Meet) took place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. In July 1972, the Coliseum hosted the "Super Bowl" of Motocross . The event was the first motocross race held inside a stadium. It evolved into the AMA Supercross championship held in stadiums across
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#17327766217887592-467: The Coliseum was undoubtedly inspired by the earlier Yale Bowl which was built in 1914. The now-signature Olympic torch was added, and the stadium was briefly known as Olympic Stadium . The Olympic cauldron torch which burned through both Games remains above the peristyle at the east end of the stadium as a reminder of this, as do the Olympic rings symbols over one of the main entrances. Originally for
7738-532: The Coliseum's large size, Rams (and later Raiders) games were often blacked out in Southern California , even in the teams' best years. From 1964 to the late 1970s, it was common practice to shift the playing field to the closed end of the stadium and install end zone bleachers in front of the peristyle, limiting further the number of seats available for sale. For USC– UCLA and USC– Notre Dame games, which often attracted crowds upward of 90,000,
7884-542: The Coliseum, jumping the cars in the center of the field, and stopping high atop the other end. The jump was broadcast on ABC 's Wide World of Sports . Also in 1973, the Coliseum was host to Super Bowl VII, which saw the AFC champion Miami Dolphins defeat the NFC champion Washington Redskins 14–7, becoming the only team in NFL history to attain an undefeated season and postseason. The Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group hosted
8030-404: The Coliseum. The Coliseum was also the site of the first NFL–AFL Championship Game in 1967, an event since renamed the Super Bowl . It also hosted Super Bowl VII in 1973, but future Super Bowls in the Los Angeles region would instead be hosted at the Rose Bowl, which has never had an NFL tenant. The Coliseum was also the site of the NFL Pro Bowl from 1951 to 1972 , and again in 1979 . In 1960 ,
8176-481: The Express and the Michigan Panthers that was decided on a 24-yard game-winning touchdown by Mel Gray of the Express, three and a half minutes into the third overtime, to give Los Angeles a 27–21 win. Until 2012, this game marked the only time in the history of professional football that there was more than one kickoff in overtime play in the same game. In 1982 , the former Oakland Raiders moved in. The same year, UCLA decided to move out, relocating its home games to
8322-453: The NFL added its 32nd team, the Houston Texans , and significantly reshuffled its divisional alignment. The league went from 6 division winners and 6 wild-card spots to 8 division winners and only 4 wild-card qualifiers; by 2020 , the number of wild-card qualifiers returned to six. The winners of each division automatically earn a playoff spot and a home game in their first rounds, the three top non-division winners from each conference also make
8468-476: The NFL expanded and created four divisions under the two conferences, which led to the institution of a larger playoff tournament. After the 1970 AFL–NFL merger brought the American Football League into the NFL, the NFL began to use three divisions and a single wild-card team in each conference for its playoffs, in order to produce eight contenders out of six divisions; this was later expanded in 1978 and 1990 so that more wild-card teams could participate. In 2002
8614-411: The Netherlands), usually between teams that didn't perform well enough to earn an automatic spot. A test match is a match played at the end of a season between a team that has done badly in a higher league and one that has done well in a lower league of the same football league system . The format of a test match series varies; for instance it can be a head-to-head between one of the worse finishers of
8760-440: The New York league's playoff format, opting for a championship based on regular-season record for its first twelve seasons; as a result, four of the first six "championships" were disputed. Technically, a vote of league owners was all that was required to win a title, but the owners had a gentlemen's agreement to pledge votes based on a score (wins divided by the sum of wins and losses, with a few tiebreakers). When two teams tied at
8906-416: The Raiders were put on hold indefinitely. The Raiders then redirected their efforts toward a proposed stadium at Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood before electing to move back to the Oakland Coliseum prior to the 1995 NFL season . In 2000, Bentley Management Group (BMG) was hired as the project manager to complete work at the Coliseum and Sports Arena funded by FEMA. In addition to seismically bracing
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#17327766217889052-443: The Rams claimed to have lost $ 6 million, and made only $ 7.6 million during the previous four seasons. As well, Frontiere attracted some negative publicity. In 1986, Frontiere's seventh and final husband, composer Dominic Frontiere , stirred controversy after being arrested and jailed for ten months for lying to a government agent as part of a federal investigation that came from allegedly scalping 1,000 Super Bowl tickets. (Frontiere
9198-407: The Rams have donated more than $ 170,000 to community groups. Also in 2008, the Rams partnered with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to host "Georgia's Drive Fore the Kids", a golf tournament to honor Frontiere and benefit the charity. Sixth Street, between Convention Plaza and Washington, outside of the Edward Jones Dome , is now known as "Georgia's Way" to memorialize Frontiere. Frontiere
9344-422: The Royal Belgian Football Association (KBVB) also introduced Christmas football in order to complete the extra matches in time. This posed some problems because a few matches had to be cancelled due to snowy pitches. The delays will probably cause the tight schedule to fail and postpone the end of the season. Some structural changes were instituted in 2015–16 : From 1974 through 2015, the 15th team out of 16 in
9490-436: The Second Division, to determine which team was promoted to the highest level together with the division champions. From the 2005–06 season on, only one team was relegated directly from the First Division, with the 17th team taking part in the playoff. As a result, this playoff was still called the Belgian Second Division final round , although one team from the Pro League took part each year. Starting in 2015–16, this playoff
9636-519: The Sports Arena while it remained open for events, BMG also coordinated the Coliseum's new press box elevator, various concession stands, restroom improvements, and concrete spalling repairs. In August 2011, construction began on the Coliseum's west end on a new 6,000-square-foot (560 m ) HD video scoreboard, accompanying the existing video scoreboard on the peristyle (east end) of the stadium. The video scoreboard officially went into operation on September 3, 2011, at USC football's home opener versus
9782-407: The St. Louis Rams Foundation, which has contributed more than $ 7 million to charities in the St. Louis area. Always a patron of the arts, in 2000, Frontiere donated $ 1 million to help build a 5500-seat amphitheater, the Frontiere Performing Arts Pavilion, located in the Sedona Cultural Park in Arizona. As well, she produced the Tony-nominated August Wilson play "Radio Golf" and Richard Dresser's "Below
9928-412: The State of California for the state-owned land the property occupies in Exposition Park; maintain the Coliseum's physical condition at the same standard used on the USC Campus; and assume all financial obligations for the operations and maintenance of the Coliseum and BMO Stadium Complex. The Coliseum is primarily the home of the USC Trojans football team. Most of USC's regular home games, especially
10074-449: The Super Bowl XXXIV win, the Rams made it to the championship game again. In the 2001 season , the Rams competed against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI but lost a close game 20–17. The Rams made the playoffs again in 2003 and 2004 , but after Kurt Warner and other key players departed, the team again lapsed into stagnation. Upon her death in 2008, Frontiere's son Chip Rosenbloom and daughter Lucía Rodríguez inherited
10220-468: The United States and Canada. The Coliseum last hosted the event in 1998. On August 20, 1972, Wattstax , also known as "Black-Woodstock", took place in the Coliseum. Over 100,000 black residents of Los Angeles attended this concert for African-American pride. Later in 1973, a documentary was released about the concert. In 1973, Evel Knievel used the entire distance of the stadium to jump 50 stacked cars. Knievel launched his motorcycle from atop one end of
10366-413: The addition of luxury boxes and club suites. The $ 315 million project, funded solely by the university and managed by architectural firm DLR Group , was the first major upgrade of the stadium in twenty years. The improvements and added amenities resulted in a reduced stadium capacity from 92,348 to 77,500. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, which consists of six voting members appointed by
10512-514: The alternating games with rivals UCLA and Notre Dame , attract a capacity crowd. The current official capacity of the Coliseum is 77,500, with 42 suites, 1,100 club seats, 24 loge boxes, and a 500-person rooftop terrace. USC's women lacrosse and soccer teams use the Coliseum for selected games, usually involving major opponents and televised games. USC also rents the Coliseum to various events, including international soccer games, musical concerts and other large outdoor events. In May 2021, due to
10658-443: The announced move, the city hosted a rally downtown and thousands of fans chanted "Georgia, Georgia!" Later Frontiere said, "St. Louis is my home, and I brought my team here to start a new dynasty." The Rams struggled for the first few years in their new home, but in the 1999 season , the team led by coach Dick Vermeil , offensive coordinator Mike Martz and an undrafted ex- Arena Football League quarterback, Kurt Warner , defeated
10804-444: The bleachers were moved eastward and the field was re-marked in its original position. When a larger east grandstand was installed between 1977 and 1978, at the behest of Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom , the capacity was just 71,500. With the upcoming 1984 Summer Olympic Games, a new track was installed and the playing field permanently placed inside it. However, the combination of the stadium's large, relatively shallow design, along with
10950-463: The champion of the National League (formerly known as Conference Premier) are also automatically promoted. In EFL playoffs, the four clubs finishing below the automatic promotion places compete in two-legged semi-finals with the higher-placed club enjoying home advantage in the second leg. In the National League however, the six clubs finishing below the champions compete in playoffs - the lower four competing in an elimination match to decide who plays in
11096-480: The coaching. We have good coaching. I'm talking about the top. There are some things that have to be ironed out." That next season, the Rams finally reached Super Bowl XIV but lost to the three-time champion Pittsburgh Steelers 31-19 After the Super Bowl, Frontiere increased her national profile appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated and in an American Express commercial with the Rams players. By
11242-598: The couple had wed. In the early 1950s, Frontiere worked as a urologist's secretary while acting in Fresno's Garrick Little Theatre (where she met her third husband). The couple divorced a short time later. She later married her fourth husband, a stage manager at the Sacramento Music Circus, but the couple split after five years. In the late 1950s, Frontiere moved to Miami and had her own TV interview show. During this time, Frontiere met her fifth husband,
11388-589: The end of the league, CONCACAF Nations League Finals and UEFA Nations League Finals . In Argentine football, playoffs in the style of the English leagues occur in the Primera B Metropolitana , part of the third tier, and leagues below it ( Primera C Metropolitana and Primera D Metropolitana ). All Primera Metropolitana tourneys cover the area in and around Buenos Aires , the capital city. The Torneo Reducidos (reduced tournaments), however, involve 8 teams below
11534-474: The end of the season (which, effective in 2016–17, changed from a February–December format to an August–June format). The Australian A-League , which also features a team in New Zealand , has determined its champions via a playoff system, officially known as the "Finals Series" (reflecting standard Australian English usage), since its inception in the 2005–06 season . From the league's inception through
11680-575: The expansion Los Angeles Angels joined the American League in 1961, Frick rejected their original request to use the Coliseum as a temporary facility. This rule was revoked (or perhaps, simply ignored) when the Baltimore Orioles launched the "retro ballpark" era in 1992, with the opening of Oriole Park at Camden Yards . With a right field corner of only 318 feet (97 m), this fell short. However, baseball fans heartily welcomed
11826-621: The final standings was involved in a playoff pool with three teams from the Belgian Second Division after each season, to determine which of these teams played in the First Division/Pro League the oncoming season. The lowest ranked team of the First Division/Pro League was relegated and replaced by the Second Division champion. Originally, these playoffs were introduced in 1974 and were part of
11972-511: The first of a multi-stage renovation designed by HNTB that would have turned the Coliseum into a split-bowl stadium with two levels of mezzanine suites (the peristyle end would have been left as is). However, after the 1994 Northridge earthquake , the $ 93 million was required from government agencies (including the Federal Emergency Management Agency ) to repair earthquake damage, and the renovations demanded by
12118-536: The first stadium short course off-road race at the Coliseum in 1979. The event was last held in 1992. The Los Angeles Rams played their home games in the Coliseum until 1979, when they moved to Anaheim prior to the 1980 NFL season . They hosted the NFC Championship Game in 1975 and 1978, in which they lost both times to the Dallas Cowboys by lopsided margins. The Los Angeles Aztecs of
12264-554: The first week of play during the 1959 season , the media's worst preseason fears seemed to be realized when 24 home runs were hit in the Coliseum, three of them by Chicago Cubs outfielder Lee Walls , not especially distinguished as a hitter. However, pitchers soon adapted, throwing outside to right-handed hitters, requiring them to pull the bat hard if they wanted to hit toward left. Perhaps no player took better advantage than Dodgers outfielder Wally Moon , who figured out how to hit high fly balls that dropped almost vertically just behind
12410-439: The first, it would have been a ground-rule double. However, the Dodgers discovered that the earthquake safety provisions of the Los Angeles building code forbade construction of a second screen. Unable to compel the Dodgers to fix the situation, the major leagues passed a note to Rule 1.04 stating that any stadium constructed after June 1, 1958, must provide a minimum distance of 325 feet (99 m) down each foul line. Also, when
12556-425: The former owner's son from a previous marriage and the Rams' vice-president, would take a leadership role in the team's management. However, Frontiere couldn't navigate the conflicts between General Manager Don Klosterman and Steve Rosenbloom and fired Rosenbloom after four months. During the 1970s, the Rams were a perennial contender, but a championship or a Super Bowl appearance eluded them. Yet, without Carroll,
12702-526: The franchise merged with its NFL cousins just before the two leagues merged. The Coliseum hosted the NCAA Men's Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships in 1934 , 1939 , 1949 , and 1955 . It also hosted several Coliseum Relays and several Compton-Coliseum Invitational (track and field) events from the 1940s until the 1970s. Among other sporting events held at the Coliseum over the years were Major League Baseball (MLB) games, which were held when
12848-959: The games have been broadcast on ESPN . The NCAA Division III Football Championship began in 1973 . Before 1973, most of the schools now in Division III competed either in the NCAA College Division or the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). NCAA Divisions II and III were created by splitting the College Division in two, with schools that wished to continue awarding athletic scholarships placed in Division II and those that did not want to award them placed in Division III. The Division III playoffs begin with 32 teams selected to participate in them. The Division III final, known as
12994-437: The grand final. Both semifinals were two-legged, while the Preliminary Final and Grand Final were one-off matches. When the league expanded to 10 teams beginning in 2009–10 , the finals expanded to six teams. The format of the six-team playoff established at that time was: Starting with the 2012–13 season , the finals format has been changed to a pure knockout tournament consisting entirely of one-off matches: The concept of
13140-434: The higher league and one of the better finishers of the lower league, or it can be a mini league where all participants play each other or teams only play those from the other league. The winner of the test match series play in the higher league the following season, and the loser in the lower league. In international football , playoffs were a feature of the 1954 and 1958 FIFA World Cup final tournaments. They are still
13286-456: The home-and-away season. Each team in the championship playoff plays the others home and away one additional time. At the end of this stage: Each group within the qualifying playoff also plays home and away within its group; after this stage, teams enter another level of playoffs depending on their positions in the group. The top two teams in each group enter a knockout playoff consisting entirely of two-legged matches (unless one of these teams
13432-480: The improvised park as "O'Malley's Chinese Theatre" or "The House that Charlie Chan Built", drawing protests from the Chinese American community in the Los Angeles area. They also expressed concern that cherished home run records, especially Babe Ruth 's 1927 seasonal mark of 60, might easily fall as a result of 250-foot (76 m) pop flies going over the left-field fence. Sports Illustrated titled
13578-550: The inaugural game at the Coliseum, with the Trojans prevailing 23–7. Situated just across the street from Exposition Park, USC agreed to play all its home games at the Coliseum, a circumstance that contributed to the decision to build the arena. From 1928 to 1981 , the UCLA Bruins also played home games at the Coliseum. When USC and UCLA played each other , the "home" team (USC in odd-numbered years, UCLA in even), occupied
13724-552: The last 19 years of her life with Earle Weatherwax although they never married. She had homes in Malibu, California , St. Louis , and Cornville, Arizona . Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2007, Frontiere spent the rest of the year undergoing treatment, but her condition rapidly deteriorated and she died in UCLA Medical Center on January 18, 2008. She was 80 years old. A statement put out by her children read, "Our mom
13870-632: The leader of United States' first all-girl orchestra (Lucia Pamela and her band of musical pirates), and Reginald Irwin, an insurance salesman and businessman. Frontiere had early aspirations to work as an opera singer and eventually traveled to Milan to train with the Milan Opera. By ten years old, she performed along with her mother and brother in the singing group the Pamela Trio. The act entertained at ballrooms and state fairs. Frontiere attended Soldan High School in St. Louis. When she
14016-586: The league under antitrust laws, the league relented and approved the move with Frontiere casting the deciding vote in a 23-6 decision (The Giants, Jets, Steelers, Cardinals, Bills and Redskins remained no votes, while the Raiders abstained). Though fans in Southern California felt scorned, the city of St. Louis welcomed her after losing the Cardinals franchise to Phoenix, Arizona in 1988. After
14162-474: The league, the playoffs may be either a single game, a series of games, or a tournament , and may use a single-elimination system or one of several other different playoff formats . Playoff, in regard to international fixtures, is to qualify or progress to the next round of a competition or tournament. In team sports in the U.S. and Canada, the vast distances and consequent burdens on cross-country travel have led to regional divisions of teams. Generally, during
14308-563: The local United Way chapter, the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Herbert Hoover Boys and Girls Club, Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and the American Foundation for AIDS Research and made numerous charitable contributions both to the arts and to other organizations in St. Louis and elsewhere. Frontiere was born in St. Louis, Missouri , to Lucia Pamela , Miss St. Louis of 1926, KMOX radio's 'gal about town', and
14454-415: The locker rooms were huge as they were designed for football (not baseball) teams. In order to shoehorn even an approximation of a baseball field onto the playing surface, the left-field fence was set at only 251 feet (77 m) from the plate. This seemed likely to ensure that there would be many " Chinese home runs ", as such short shots were called at the time. Sportswriters began jokingly referring to
14600-547: The lower tiers Série C and Série D include knockout rounds in their final stages. Bulgaria instituted an elaborate playoff system in its top flight, the First League , in the 2016–17 season. After the league's 14 teams play a full home-and-away season, the league splits into two playoffs—a 6-team "championship playoff" and an 8-team "qualifying playoff", with the latter split into two 4-team groups. Each playoff begins with teams carrying over all goals and statistics from
14746-441: The mid-1980s, Frontiere had passed much of the Rams' daily financial and football management responsibilities on to key executives. According to ESPN, "When it came to football matters, Mrs. Frontiere delegated to longtime team President John Shaw, to whom she granted considerable autonomy." As the decade began, the '70s Rams players gradually retired, but the team still reached the playoffs seven times between 1980 and 1989. In 1980,
14892-465: The name of the stadium by the condition of the Coliseum Commission's requirement in its master lease agreement with USC. However, veterans groups and the new president of the Coliseum Commission raised concern about the new name, while United did not approve of any change from the stadium and stated that they were willing to step away from the deal. On March 29, 2019, USC suggested the name United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum instead of
15038-484: The north sideline and bench, and its band and rooters sat on the north side of the stadium; the "visiting" team and its contingent took to the south (press box) side of the stadium. Excepting the mid-1950s and 1983–2007, the two teams have worn their home jerseys for the rivalry games for the Victory Bell . This tradition was renewed in 2008 , even though the two schools now play at different stadiums. UCLA moved to
15184-637: The number of mid-table clubs with nothing to play for at the end of the season. The Football Conference, now known as the National League , introduced play-offs in 2002 after the Football League agreed to a two-club exchange with the Conference. The top two teams in the EFL Championship and in EFL League One are automatically promoted to the division above and thus do not compete in the play-offs. The top three teams in EFL League Two and
15330-465: The original bowl's initial construction costs were $ 954,873. When the Coliseum opened in 1923, it was the largest stadium in Los Angeles, with a capacity of 75,144. In 1930, however, with the Olympics due in two years, the stadium was extended upward to seventy-nine rows of seats with two tiers of tunnels, expanding the seating capacity to 101,574. The physical structure of a bowl-shaped configuration for
15476-417: The peristyle were installed in 1955. In the mid- and late 1950s, the press box was renovated, and the "Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum" lettering and Olympic rings, lighted at night, were added to the eastern face of the peristyle tower. Between the double peristyle arches at the east end is the Coliseum's "Court of Honor" plaques, recognizing many of the memorable events and participants in its history, including
15622-455: The planned United Airlines Memorial Coliseum. Although United also did not support this and considered withdrawal, the two parties agreed to the name on June 7. During Los Angeles Rams home games for the 2019 season , the stadium reverted to its original name, and all signage indicating "United Airlines Field" was covered due to the franchise's sponsoring partnership with American Airlines . On October 6, 1923 , Pomona and USC played in
15768-411: The play-off semi-finals are two leg ties with the final being a single match played at the home ground of the highest placed of the two teams. At levels seven and eight, all of the ties are single matches played at the home ground of the team with the highest league position. In 2003, Gillingham proposed replacing the current play-off system with one involving six clubs from each division and replacing
15914-428: The playoffs as wild-card teams. The division winner with the best record in the regular season gets a first-round bye, and each of the other division winners plays one of the three wild-card teams. In the divisional round, the lowest-seeded winner of a wild-card game then plays the lone bye team; the two wild-card winners also advance to play each other. The winners of these two games go to the conference championships, and
16060-520: The presence of the track between the playing field and the stands, meant that some of the original end zone seats were as far from the field by the equivalent length of another football field. To address these and other problems, the Coliseum underwent a $ 15 million renovation before the 1993 football season, which included the following: Additionally, for Raiders home games, tarpaulins were placed over seldom-sold sections, reducing seating capacity to approximately 65,000. The changes were anticipated to be
16206-428: The previous year of local COVID-19 restrictions, USC held commencement ceremonies in the Coliseum for graduating students from the classes of 2020 and 2021. Ceremonies were held in the Coliseum twice a day for a week, with over 36,000 diplomas (including undergraduate and graduate degrees and certificates) were awarded. It was the first time in 70 years that USC had held its commencement in the stadium. In September 2024
16352-510: The proposal, it was blocked by The FA and soon abandoned. The championship of every division in English football is determined solely by the standings in the league. However, a championship play-off would be held if the top two teams were tied for points, goal difference, goals scored in both their overall league record, and identical head-to-head record (including head-to-head away goals scored); to date, this has never happened. A play-off would also be scheduled if two teams are tied as above for
16498-563: The regular season, teams play more games in their division than outside it, but the league's best teams might not play against each other in the regular season. Therefore, in the postseason a playoff series is organized. Any group-winning team is eligible to participate, and as playoffs became more popular they were expanded to include second- or even lower-placed teams – the term " wild card " refers to these teams. In England and Scotland, playoffs are used in association football to decide promotion for lower-finishing teams, rather than to decide
16644-421: The regular-season table. The First Division B qualifiers will be the top three teams from that league's regular-season table, excluding the division champion, which instead earns promotion to First Division A. As in the previous format, the teams will be divided into two groups, each playing home-and-away within the group, and the two group winners will play a one-off final, with the winner of that match advancing to
16790-399: The screen. By the end of the season, he had hit 19 homers, all but five of them in the Coliseum. In recognition, such homers were dubbed " Moon Shots ". Nonetheless, the number of home runs alarmed Frick enough that he ordered the Dodgers to build a second screen in the stands, 333 ft (101 m) from the plate. A ball would have had to clear both screens to be a home run; if it cleared
16936-488: The semifinals (the top two receive a bye into the semifinals). The away goals rule does not apply for the semi-finals. The Football League play-off finals were originally played in two legs, at both teams' home grounds, but were later changed to one-off affairs, which are played at Wembley Stadium in London. Teams are also promoted using a play-off tournament from levels six to eight of the football pyramid . At level six,
17082-574: The stadium, construction of a larger and modern press box (with new box suites, premium lounges, a viewing deck, a V.I.P. section, and the introduction of LED ribbon boards), adding new aisles and widening some seats, a new sound system , restoration and renaming of the peristyle to the Julia and George Argyros Plaza, stadium wide Wi-Fi , two new HD video jumbotrons , new concession stands , upgraded entry concourses, new interior and exterior lighting, modernization of plumbing and electrical systems, and
17228-471: The team lacked organizational direction, which Frontiere sought to establish. During preseason, Frontiere drafted a position paper where she asserted her role as the team's boss. Believing that a lack of direction was responsible for the Rams' inability to win a championship (despite fielding talented teams), she told Sports Illustrated , "Right now, we don't have much leadership. Oh, they played well—they're trying to earn their positions—and I'm not talking about
17374-587: The team moved out of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (a severely outdated facility that was too big to sell out for most games and resulted in frequent blackouts) and into the California Angels ' Anaheim Stadium . In the early 1990s, the Rams franchise suffered from poor attendance. Average attendance had fallen to 45,000 fans per game, well below a peak of 62,000. Because of this, the Rams' finances suffered as well. In 1994,
17520-420: The team to St. Louis in 1995. During the deal, Frontiere also agreed to give up 40% of her ownership to Stan Kroenke , who became a minority owner in the team. (She had bought the 30% of the team she didn't own from Carroll's children in 1980). The NFL, which had decided that the city was unsuitable as a football market, initially voted to block the Rams' move to St. Louis. However, when Frontiere threatened to sue
17666-401: The team who wins the most matches isn't automatically the national champion. The biggest upside in favor of the play-off system is the higher number of matches (40 instead of 34 compared to the previous season) and more top matches. The extra matches also generate higher revenues for the teams. Nonetheless, the higher number of matches takes an extra toll on teams and players. Besides play-offs,
17812-594: The team's move to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood . The facility had a permanent seating capacity of 93,607 for USC football and Rams games, making it the largest football stadium in the Pac-12 Conference and the NFL. The stadium also was the temporary home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1958 to 1961 , and was the host venue for games three, four, and five of
17958-504: The three ownership interests and meets on a monthly basis, provides public oversight of the master lease agreement with USC. Under the lease, the university has year-round day-to-day management and operation responsibility for both the Coliseum and BMO Stadium properties. USC's Vice President of Auxiliary Services is the Chief Operating Officer of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and Coliseum employees are employees of
18104-404: The top of the standings in 1932, an impromptu playoff game was scheduled to settle the tie. The NFL divided its teams into divisions in 1933 and began holding a single playoff final between division winners. In 1950 the NFL absorbed three teams from the rival All-America Football Conference , and the former "divisions" were now called "conferences", echoing the college use of that term. In 1967,
18250-413: The top two teams as determined by the selection committee do not automatically advance to the game in lieu of other bowls. The game is played at a neutral site, determined through bids by prospective host cities (similarly to the Super Bowl and NCAA final four ). When announcing it was soliciting bids for the 2016 and 2017 title games, playoff organizers said that the bids must propose host stadiums with
18396-622: The top two, as opposed to 4. Before the top-flight Argentine Primera División abandoned its traditional Apertura and Clausura format in 2015 in favor of an expanded single season, there was no playoff between the Apertura and Clausura winners. As a result, the league crowned two champions each year. After each Clausura, the two teams with the lowest points-per-game total for the previous six tournaments (three years, counting only Primera División games) were relegated to Primera B Nacional to be replaced by that league's champion and runner-up teams;
18542-537: The two teams immediately above contested promotion/relegation series with the third and fourth places in Primera B Nacional, counted by its aggregate table. In Primera B Nacional, the same procedure continues in use for relegation to either Primera B Metropolitana or Torneo Argentino A for non-Buenos Aires clubs. From 2015 onward, relegation from the Primera División will be based solely on league position at
18688-513: The two-legged ties with one-off matches. If adopted, the two higher-placed clubs in the play-offs would have enjoyed first-round byes and home advantage in the semi-finals. It was a controversial proposal — some people did not believe a club finishing only in eighth position in the League could (or should) compete in the Premiership while others found the system too American for their liking. Although League chairmen initially voted in favour of
18834-609: The university announced that its main commencement ceremony was regularly attracting more than 60,000 guests and had outgrown all venues on campus, and beginning with the May 2025 ceremony it would be moving to the Coliseum. The Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a memorial to L.A. veterans of World War I (rededicated to all United States veterans of the war in 1968). The groundbreaking ceremony took place on December 21, 1921, with construction being completed in just over 16 months, on May 1, 1923. Designed by John and Donald Parkinson ,
18980-442: The university. Until 2013, USC had a series of mostly one and two year agreements with the Coliseum Commission – which up to that time had been directly operating the stadium. Those agreements were limited to the university only renting the stadium for USC home football games. On July 29, 2013, after the previously governing Coliseum Commission failed to deliver promised renovations, the Coliseum Commission and USC implemented
19126-490: The victory podium. The former Cleveland Rams of the National Football League relocated to the Coliseum in 1946 , becoming the Los Angeles Rams; however, the team later relocated again, first to Anaheim in 1980 , then to St.Louis in 1995 , only to move back to Los Angeles in 2016 . The Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference played in the Coliseum from 1946 to 1949, when
19272-479: The winners of those conference finals then face each other in the Super Bowl . The College Football Playoff National Championship is a post-season college football bowl game , used to determine a national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), which began play in the 2014 college football season . The game serves as the final of the College Football Playoff ,
19418-512: The yellow color was eliminated in the 1970s. The seating capacity was reduced to approximately 93,000. The Coliseum was problematic as an NFL venue. At various times in its history, it was either the largest or one of the largest stadiums in the league. While this allowed the Rams and Raiders to set attendance records, it also made it extremely difficult to sell out. The NFL amended its blackout rule to allow games to be televised locally if they were sold out 72 hours before kickoff. However, due to
19564-474: Was a fan of Georgia after seeing her on her morning show. Rosenbloom and Georgia were engaged in 1960, but it took Rosenbloom ten years to divorce his first wife (in a widely reported divorce negotiation). Rosenbloom and Frontiere married in 1966, though they had been together for eight years and had two children by this point. In 1972, Rosenbloom traded ownership of the Baltimore Colts for ownership of
19710-597: Was actually the second female majority owner. Violet Bidwill Wolfner inherited the Chicago Cardinals after her husband's death in 1947 and owned the franchise until she died in 1962. However, during Frontiere's tenure, she was the only active female majority owner in the NFL. During her years as owner, Frontiere moved the Rams twice, first relocating from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1980 to Anaheim (a deal Rosenbloom made in 1978), then to St. Louis in 1995. Initially criticized and harassed for being
19856-487: Was also an outspoken supporter of the NFL Alumni Association. She rallied for the "Pre-'59ers", the 1,000-plus NFL players who retired prior to 1959 and didn't qualify for the league's pension plan. She also started a "Dire Need Fund" for the Los Angeles chapter of the NFL Alumni Association, which spawned the league-led NFL Alumni Dire Need Fund for players. In 1997, Frontiere spearheaded the formation of
20002-590: Was awarded an honorary doctor of philanthropy from Pepperdine University . Frontiere married seven times. She married her first husband, a young military man, at age 15; the marriage was soon annulled. Her second husband, Francis J. Geiger, died in an auto accident in San Francisco. In the 1940s and 1950s, she married three more times: to Bruce B. Johnson, a fellow actor at the Garrick Little Theater in Fresno, California ; to Wallace Hayes,
20148-402: Was completed by the 2019 football season, and was the first major upgrade of the stadium in 20 years. The project budget increased from the initial estimate of $ 270 million to $ 315 million mainly due to the tight construction schedule. On January 29, 2018, Chicago -based United Airlines became the stadium's first naming rights partner. Originally, Memorial Coliseum was to be retained in
20294-414: Was dedicated to being more than the owner of a football team. She loved the Rams' players, coaches and staff. The warmth and generosity she exuded will never be forgotten." Playoffs The playoffs , play-offs , postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on
20440-496: Was fifteen, Frontiere's parents divorced, and she married a young U.S. Marine who was heading to Europe during World War II. The union was quickly annulled. A few years later, the family moved to Fresno, California , where Frontiere performed at dinner theatres alongside her mother in a duo, the Pamela Sisters. During this time, she married her second husband, who was killed in a car accident near San Francisco shortly after
20586-564: Was held in 1917, but that is not known for sure). The Buffalo and Rochester metropolitan areas each played a final, the winners of which would advance to the "New York Pro Championship" on Thanksgiving weekend. The top New York teams were eventually absorbed into the National Football League upon its founding in 1920, but the league (mostly driven by an Ohio League that did not have true finals, though they frequently scheduled de facto championship matchups) did not adopt
20732-620: Was known as the NCAA Division I-AA Football Championship . The FCS is the highest division in college football to hold a playoff tournament sanctioned by the NCAA to determine its champion. The four-team playoff system used by the Bowl Subdivision is not sanctioned by the NCAA. The NCAA Division II Football Championship is an American college football tournament played annually to determine
20878-453: Was located adjacent to the Coliseum before it closed in March 2016. BMO Stadium , formerly Banc of California Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium and the home of Major League Soccer (MLS)'s Los Angeles FC , was constructed on the former Sports Arena site, and opened in 2018. In 2019, USC completed a two year long major renovation of the stadium that included replacing the seating along with
21024-526: Was not implicated and though the event brought unfavorable media attention, she stood by Dominic Frontiere during his trial and incarceration ). The pair divorced in 1987. As the 1990s began, the Rams' fortunes had sunk very low. Most home games were blacked out, and the team hardly figured into the Los Angeles sports scene at all. Frontiere attempted to have a new stadium built in Los Angeles to improve ticket sales but local government officials were not interested due to unfavorable economic conditions (the end of
21170-587: Was played in Longview, Texas in 1978. For 1979 and 1980, Albuquerque, New Mexico hosted the game. McAllen, Texas hosted the finals from 1981 to 1985. From 1986 to 2013, the Division II final was played at Braly Municipal Stadium near the campus of the University of North Alabama in Florence, Alabama . Between 2014 and 2017, it was played at Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas . Since 1994,
21316-476: Was scrapped and replaced with direct relegation for the bottom Pro League/First Division A team only. Further changes will be introduced to the Europa League playoffs from 2016 to 2017 forward. The playoff will involve a total of 12 teams—nine from First Division A, and three from First Division B (the renamed Second Division). The First Division A qualifiers will be those finishing between 7th and 15th on
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