When the San Francisco 49ers and the then-San Diego Chargers played an exhibition game at Aloha Stadium in 1976 it seemed to open up a league of possibilities for the still-sparkling, year-old facility.

Could the dominating team of that time, the Pittsburgh Steelers, be next? What about the Oakland Raiders?

After all, a turnout of 36,364 made a pretty good case.

But as the Los Angeles Rams and the Cowboys tee it up today for a return of preseason NFL football 43 years in the making, you wonder how long it might be before a subsequent one reaches these shores?

While the Rust Palace is still standing? Perhaps, 2024 in a debut of the New Aloha Stadium Entertainment District? Or, another 43 years down the road?

Officials of the Hawaii Tourism Authority, which is sponsoring the game and the week-long events that surround it, will tell you they see today’s exhibition as a “pilot program” of sorts aimed at demonstrating to the rest of the NFL that the former four-decade home of the Pro Bowl is open for new business.

“With the Rams, we really want to send a strong message, especially to the West Coast teams, that Hawaii is willing and prepared, once again, to embrace NFL football here,” said Mufi Hannemann, president and CEO of the Hawaii Lodging & Tourism Association.

As word of the Rams-Cowboys game and the quick sellout that accompanied it has gotten around, “There have already been nibbles, yes,” said John Monahan, president and CEO of the Hawaii Visitors and Convention Bureau.

But it is worth noting that today’s game also benefited from a providential set of circumstances that might be tough to replicate very often. The Rams’ new home, the $5.2 billion, 70,000-seat LA Stadium and Entertainment District rising in Inglewood, Calif., won’t open until next year, and their interim residence, the Memorial Coliseum, has been undergoing a $315 million renovation this summer.

So, it made sense for the Rams, whose COO & executive vice president of football operations, Kevin Demoff, is a frequent Hawaii vacation visitor, to bring one of their “home” preseason games here. And the Cowboys, who train in Oxnard, Calif., before heading back to Texas, made for convenient company.

But once the Rams move into their new home, the financial model makes it unlikely they will be taking any “home” games out of Inglewood, much less across the Pacific.

“A key point, one thing that we have learned from the sponsorship, is, ‘Are teams that have a stable stadium situation at home going to want to give up a home game?’ ” Monahan said. “The revenue they generate from a home game is generally better than taking it on the road. So, generally, they end up being very unique circumstances.”

You can also cross off the Raiders, who get the keys to $1.9 billion, 65,000-seat Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, in 2020.

For the Rams, a return as a road game to reinforce their branding initiatives here might be a possibility — if they can find another West Coast team willing to leave its own stadium to play host.

“We want to have that next conversation, if there is a ‘what’s next,’ ” Monahan said.

In the meantime, enjoy the opportunity for an NFL exhibition game today, because it is anybody’s guess when the next one might find its way to Halawa.

Rams-Cowboys matchup by Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Scribd

Reach Ferd Lewis at flewis@staradvertiser.om or 529-4820.