Preparations underway, excitement building for major sporting events in Bay Area and LA

Lauren Martinez Image
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 3:40PM
Preparations underway for major sporting events in Bay Area and LA
Local and state leaders are getting ready as the Bay Area and Los Angeles host several major sporting events over the next few years.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Local and state leaders are getting ready as the Bay Area and Los Angeles host several major sporting events over the next few years.

The list includes NBA All-Star Games, Super Bowls, and FIFA World Cup games.

So ABC7 News asked fans which event they were most excited about.

The Super Bowl and the Olympics were popular answers, but the FIFA World Cup was mentioned the most.

VIDEO: Here's what improvements are coming to Levi's Stadium ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup, Super Bowl

The San Francisco 49ers and Levi's Stadium announced Tuesday they are investing $200 million to upgrade the stadium over the next two years.

But before the fun, comes the planning.

On Monday, the State Senate Public Safety Committee held an informational hearing.

The Bay Area will be the only region to ever host a FIFA World Cup and a Super Bowl in the same calendar year.

State Senator and Committee Chair Aisha Wahab said the meeting included chiefs of police, city managers and state stakeholders.

"When we're talking about human trafficking both labor and sex trafficking, what are we doing? Who are we talking to? Who are the experts? What can we plan for? When we talk about the homeless encampments, what are we planning for? How are we treating them humanely," Wahab said.

VIDEO: Excitement grows as Super Bowl, FIFA World Cup head to Bay Area in 2026

Two global events are coming to Levi's Stadium in 2026. The FIFA World Cup and Super Bowl 60.

Out of all the upcoming events - Wahab says the World Cup is the priority.

"There's nothing bigger than a World Cup and even the viewership compared to anything else is significantly higher and it was actually presented in our hearing," Wahab said.

Zaileen Janmohamed, CEO of Bay Area Host Committee said their hope is to include cities throughout the Bay Area.

"Most of the people who live in the Bay actually wont go to a FIFA World match, and so it's our responsibility to ensure the citizens of the Bay Area and all nine counties, the same as LA are experiencing the tournament no matter where they live and whether or not they have access to a match or not," Janmohamed said. "And so we're encouraging activation and engagement in the communities outside of you know Santa Clara as much as we possibly can. As I mention this fan that comes in, especially international will expect a mass transit solution."

On Tuesday, San Jose city staff will be giving a presentation to council members about how planning is going for some of these major sporting events.

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