Rams to play regular-season games in London for next 3 years

LONDON -- The St. Louis Rams took the first step to becoming Britain's "home" team Friday, agreeing to play a regular-season NFL game in London in each of the next three seasons.

And first up are the New England Patriots, who are two wins from another Super Bowl title.

The Rams and Patriots meet at Wembley on Oct. 28, about two months after the closing ceremony of the London Olympics. That will be followed by games at Wembley against undetermined opponents in 2013 and 2014.

The Rams are owned by Stan Kroenke, who also is the majority shareholder in the English soccer club Arsenal. The team will give up home games in St. Louis for the three seasons they are in London.

"We've seen first-hand the increased popularity of the NFL not only in London but throughout Europe," Kroenke said in a statement. "To play a role in that growth over the next three years will be incredible and is a testament to the many good things happening not only in the NFL but also in the St. Louis Rams organization."

This year's contest will be the sixth regular-season game at Wembley. The NFL said the Rams-Patriots date would be the only one in 2012 despite plans to bring a second game to Britain starting next season.

"This year is a very competitive year for sport in the UK, especially with the Olympics in London," NFLUK managing director Alistair Kirkwood said. "Also, with the Rams having made an unprecedented commitment to playing in the UK for the next three years, we wanted to focus on them as our 'home' team without another game taking place.

"We would like to increase beyond one game per year as soon as possible, and the five-year commitment by the owners to playing in the UK allows us to make that decision when we feel it is appropriate."

NFL owners agreed last year to play regular-season games in the UK for the next five seasons. The league said Friday all the games would be played at Wembley. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell repeatedly has spoken of the possibility of a full-time franchise in the UK one day.

The Rams finished 2-14 this season, tied for the NFL's worst, and have won only 15 games over the last five seasons. The team hired Jeff Fisher as coach last week to replace the fired Steve Spagnuolo.