The city of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company have filed a lawsuit against UCLA, alleging that the university is attempting to move its home football games from the historic Rose Bowl Stadium to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The Los Angeles Times reported on Wednesday that the suit accuses UCLA of breaking its trust by considering relocating games from a venue it has used for 43 years.
UCLA’s lease at the Rose Bowl runs through 2044. However, attendance at Bruins home games has declined, with an average of about 35,000 fans per game this season. The Rose Bowl is located 26 miles from UCLA’s campus and can seat approximately 89,000 people. By comparison, SoFi Stadium, which opened in September 2020 and seats over 70,000, is only about 12 miles away.
“This lawsuit arises in an era when money too often eclipses meaning and the pursuit of profit threatens to erase the very traditions that breathe life into institutions,” according to statements included in the legal filing. “Some commitments are too fundamental to be traded away.”
Pasadena officials argue that moving UCLA football games could result in more than $1 billion in damages for the city and its residents. They note that taxpayers have contributed over $150 million toward stadium renovations and recently refinanced $130 million in bonds for further upgrades.
UCLA has experienced significant changes recently. It left its long-standing conference home, the Pac-12, for the Big Ten starting in 2024 along with other universities such as Southern California, Washington, and Oregon. Earlier this season, head coach DeShaun Foster was dismissed after two years and replaced by interim coach Tim Skipper; both offensive and defensive coordinators were also changed during this period.
In March, David L. Scrader—outside counsel for UCLA—sent a letter to Pasadena attorney Nima Mohebbi stating that discussions about possibly relocating games did not amount to a material breach of contract.
The Rose Bowl is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and has hosted major college football events since 1922. The Bruins began playing there after leaving Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 1982.
