Just under 1,000 days. 15 million tickets. 351 medal events across 36 sports. LA28 is looking to achieve an Olympics of such scope that’s never been done before. Equivalent to 15 seasons of Chargers football or five seasons of Dodger baseball all in the span of 30 days. Can they do it?
Three new sports are expected to bring in new fans, growing international viewership in addition to the already massive following of the Olympic games. Cricket has an average of 2.5 billion fans particularly from Asia, Australia and the UK. Squash’s popularity resides in Egypt which is also the home of many professional players. Men’s and women’s flag football drew 4.7 million viewers in the NFL Pro Bowl Games earlier this year. And, softball returns after being absent from the past three Olympics.
With 17,500 athletes traveling from all across the world to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Games, most of the city will be packed with tourists from all corners of the world. The LA28 committee has pledged to utilize already-established sports venues throughout the LA Metro area and only build temporary structures.
Recognizing the importance of the universities in the area to the city, Wasserman and the committee plan to utilize the campuses of USC and UCLA as much as possible for the games. This includes buying out both summer school programs in order to access their dorms, resulting in changes to the academic calendar. Dorms at UCLA will become the base for the Olympic Village while USC dorms will act as housing for the press. Though the committee was able to move the school year around, they only have about one month to get the campus ready for the athletes and members of the press.
With the use of sporting venues across LA, Wasserman and his team have a few obstacles to hurdle when it comes to timing and construction. He recognizes the challenge as unique because while the venues already exist, they will be in use until a month before the games. “That means all of our delivery is compressed in a very short period of time,” says Wasserman.
“Delivery” includes revamping existing venues which require contracts with third-party companies. According to Wasserman, about 40% of construction workers are undocumented, which puts a target on the already limited staff. Current law states that undocumented workers are required to be paid minimum wage and overtime in addition to being protected from workplace discrimination. But, despite this protection, the tension between the Los Angeles community and Immigration and Customs Enforcement eliminates a safe work environment. Cal Matters reported that California saw a 3.1% drop in private sector employment soon after ICE raids became more frequent.
Immigration law also adds a level of uncertainty for international athletes and their teams. The U.S. announced stricter nonimmigrant visa policies including an additional $100,000 payment for any H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025.
“We have to issue 250,000 visas, essentially in 30 days,” says Wasserman. “So you need the full force of the federal government. And it creates a complexity, because [of] the political environment, [but] I try and keep really focused on doing our job.”
Several countries issued travel advisories against the U.S. including Australia, Germany, New Zealand, Portugal and several others due to security risk concerns. Wasserman remains optimistic because working with the federal government has proved successful so far. “This is our fourth administration, our third president,” says Wasserman. “Everything we’ve asked them to do, they have done, and they have done so without conditions placed on them.”
As we get further along the road to LA28, the city expects to undergo major changes, but the full extent of the effects remain unclear. For those who are interested in working with the LA28 committee, Wasserman states that now is the time to get involved as this round of hiring is significant to becoming a core part of the process. For those that are planning to get involved closer to the games, there are many volunteer opportunities available.
More information can be found at LA28.org.