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Why are the Rams the road team vs. Bengals in Super Bowl LVI?

Rams safety Eric Weddle is introduced before the NFC championship game.
Rams safety Eric Weddle is introduced before the NFC championship game against the San Francisco 49ers at SoFi Stadium on Jan. 30.
(Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
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That’s right. Time for the Cincinnati Bengals to toe their familiar turf at SoFi Stadium in front of the hometown Los Angeles fans, as the visiting Rams march in.

Wait . . . What?

The Rams, despite playing Sunday’s Super Bowl on their home field, are not officially the home team. That honor would go to the Bengals, because the NFL has fun quirks.

The Rams are taking a just-another-Sunday approach to their Super Bowl showdown vs. the Cincinnati Bengals, but fully understand the game’s magnitude.

Feb. 12, 2022

Since the Super Bowl is played at a neutral location, the NFL’s two conferences — the AFC and NFC — flip-flop each season for which of their respective champions is dubbed as the home team.

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In last year’s championship game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the wonderful honor of playing as the home team at their stadium in Florida. The Rams aren’t as lucky, however, because the Buccaneers also hail from the NFC. Thus, the AFC champion Bengals will be home at SoFi.

All that explanation and this designation doesn’t really mean much, though. The Rams still get to dress in their regular locker room at SoFi, while the Bengals will use the Chargers’ locker room.

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