Five things to know about SoFi Stadium, home of the LA Bowl. How big is that scoreboard?

Fresno State and Washington State play in the second L.A. Bowl, which pits the Mountain West Conference champion against the fifth-place team from the Pac-12 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

The stadium, which opened in 2020, is home to the NFL Chargers and Rams, may be as much of an attraction as the game itself. Here are five things to know about SoFi …

What’s up with that video board?

SoFi has a one-of-a-kind ovular video board that which hangs from a translucent roof. It is dual-sided, allowing fans in the lower levels to view the inside screens and those in the upper levels to view the outer panels. It covers 120 yards, contains 70,000 square feet of digital LED lighting and with nearly 80 million pixels from center to center each panel in the video board can be uniquely or congruently programmed with content including live action and statistical information and updates. The thing weighs about 2.2 million pounds.

How much did this place cost to build?

SoFi is the most expensive stadium in the NFL. It cost $5 billion to build, according to the Los Angeles Times.

How’s the food?

There are a number of dining options at the stadium, highlighting the city’s diverse food culture and some are more curious than others. There’s Fairfax Avenue, with burgers and deli; Olvera Street, with Mexican fare; San Vicente Blvd., with Italian food; and Sawtelle Blvd. after Sawtelle Japantown, where according to the SoFi Stadium website fans can get … chicken strips with tots, a crispy chicken sandwich, a hot dog, cheese tots, chocolate chip cookies? The one sure thing? It’ll be pricey. The Rams and Chargers, along with the Raiders at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, sell the highest-priced hot dog in the NFL. It’s $8.

What’s next?

SoFi Stadium will host the College Football Playoff championship game on Jan. 9 and in 2023 has a solid lineup of concerts including Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift, Metallica, Ed Sheeran and WWE WrestleMania. In 2028, it will be a site for the Olympic opening ceremonies.

No worries for nose bleeders

Any mountain climber can attest, the higher the elevation the less oxygen is in the air and the thinner and drier air can cause nosebleeds. That’s not a concern at SoFi, even for anyone sitting in the last row of the 500 level. The stadium is just a few miles from Los Angeles International Airport and planes landing fly right over the stadium. Because of that, it could not exceed FAA guidelines for flight-restricted areas and the playing surface and roughly three-quarters of the 3.1 million-square-foot stadium is built underground. The field is 100 feet underground. That is about twice the depth of any NFL stadium and to get there, more than 7 million cubic yards of dirt were excavated from the venue, which sits on land that was once home to Hollywood Park.

This story was originally published December 17, 2022 at 5:30 AM.