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Posted
1 hour ago, satyanash said:

Sam Farmer: Rose Bowl accuses UCLA of trying to move football games to SoFi Stadium in lawsuit

 

25 miles from Westwood to the Rose Bowl, 13 to Sofi.  Like that matters?

Posted
3 hours ago, satyanash said:

Sam Farmer: Rose Bowl accuses UCLA of trying to move football games to SoFi Stadium in lawsuit

 

It would be a huge mistake.  I've been to SoFi several times, and while it's fine for NFL games, it has absolutely no soul, and would create a terrible college atmosphere.  I went to a couple of LA Bowl games, and while that isn't a great benchmark for what a regular season game would look like, I would bet fewer people would show to SoFi than the Rose Bowl.  And while it's closer to campus, that 405 commute is absolute death.  And if people think traffic leaving the Rose Bowl is bad, Downtown Inglewood is a million times worse.  A bad idea all around.  But we're full of bad ideas.

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Posted

I don't know what the gameday environment is at Carter Stadium for TCU games, but imagine moving their home games to Jerryworld?  I've been there, and the gameday experience sucks.  I mean, the outcome was great though...

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Posted
21 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

It would be a huge mistake.  I've been to SoFi several times, and while it's fine for NFL games, it has absolutely no soul, and would create a terrible college atmosphere.  I went to a couple of LA Bowl games, and while that isn't a great benchmark for what a regular season game would look like, I would bet fewer people would show to SoFi than the Rose Bowl.  And while it's closer to campus, that 405 commute is absolute death.  And if people think traffic leaving the Rose Bowl is bad, Downtown Inglewood is a million times worse.  A bad idea all around.  But we're full of bad ideas.

Ive been to the Rose Bowl for two UT games vs UCLA (98, 11), the UofM RoseBowl and both National Championship games. Its my favorite stadium to watch a college football game as the  tailgating was badass, it can hold a shitload of people and still maintain great sightlines. Moving UCLA games to sofi would be a furthering enshittification of the college game, so it will likely happen. But it would be a huge mistake. 

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Posted
2 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

25 miles from Westwood to the Rose Bowl, 13 to Sofi.  Like that matters?

 

33 minutes ago, Sbbruin said:

It would be a huge mistake.  I've been to SoFi several times, and while it's fine for NFL games, it has absolutely no soul, and would create a terrible college atmosphere.  I went to a couple of LA Bowl games, and while that isn't a great benchmark for what a regular season game would look like, I would bet fewer people would show to SoFi than the Rose Bowl.  And while it's closer to campus, that 405 commute is absolute death.  And if people think traffic leaving the Rose Bowl is bad, Downtown Inglewood is a million times worse.  A bad idea all around.  But we're full of bad ideas.

I have taken UCLA Extension courses (the collegiate equivalent to staying at a HolidayInn Express last night) and I love the Rose Bowl…

…and 100% think that the Bruins should be playing their games at SoFi.

SoFi may not have the college feel that parking & tailgating on a golf course that surrounds a 100+ year-old stadium does, but the thought of dealing with getting into the Rose Bowl and the getting out of it kept me from attending more games than a lesser game day experience ever could. 

The psychological barrier of going from campus to The Valley and then to the next valley is a larger barrier than thinking about heading down to Inglewood (where I was pulled over for being white in the fall of 1998) to see a game at SoFi.

Posted
9 minutes ago, Blotto said:

Ive been to the Rose Bowl for two UT games vs UCLA (98, 11), the UofM RoseBowl and both National Championship games. Its my favorite stadium to watch a college football game as the  tailgating was badass, it can hold a shitload of people and still maintain great sightlines. Moving UCLA games to sofi would be a furthering enshittification of the college game, so it will likely happen. But it would be a huge mistake. 

The whole country is enshittifying, so yes, might as well keep up the trend.  

2 hours ago, Gil Bang said:

25 miles from Westwood to the Rose Bowl, 13 to Sofi.  Like that matters?

Exactly.  And those 13 miles on the 405 are like the Bataan Death March.

Posted

It's all pretty immaterial.  No way the Rose Bowl take less than $0.95 on the dollar for the remaining lease obligation.  UCLA can't prevail in litigation.  They're stuck at the Rose Bowl, like it or not (I like it).

Posted
53 minutes ago, cmontexas said:

The Rose Bowl is over an hour away from UCLA on Saturdays. The 405 is the only way too.

I've been on campus at UCLA but never been to the Rose Bowl.
Didn't realize it was that bad of a drive.
No wonder why hardly any students go there - aside from just poor play.

I  never had any issues with my 405 freeway commutes though.
I wonder why everyone else hates it.

 

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Posted

I lived in Reseda and my girlfriend in Manhattan Beach before I moved down here and at first the 405 was great. Beautiful mountains, "wow this freeway is 8 lanes!" If you left after 7pm or before 6am the only bad spot was Fuckass Culver City but they started a 4 year lane fuckup project through the Pass so now the whole road is shit always.

Now I refuse to venture east of the pch unless its a special occasion

Posted

André Coleman: UCLA officials confirm school no longer wants to play in the Rose Bowl

Quote

According to a copy of the lawsuit obtained by Pasadena Now, UCLA has notified city officials it is leaving the Rose Bowl, ending a century-old partnership and setting off a high-profile legal battle over one of college football’s most storied venues. In the lawsuit, the City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC) accuse The Regents of the University of California, acting on behalf of UCLA, of breaching multiple long-term agreements requiring the Bruins to play home football games at the Rose Bowl through 2044.

The complaint alleges UCLA has now “chosen to disregard previous promises,” informing Pasadena officials that it was “moving on” nearly two decades before its contractual commitment expires. The suit argues that monetary damages alone would be insufficient to repair the harm, instead asking the court to compel UCLA to honor the contract and continue playing at the city-owned stadium.

Filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the lawsuit outlines what city attorneys call a “profound betrayal of trust and tradition,” claiming the university’s plan to relocate games to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood violates binding contracts signed in 1982, 2010, and 2014.

UCLA first signed an agreement to play its home football games at the Rose Bowl in 1982, formally relocating its program from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That partnership was reaffirmed in a restated lease signed in 2010, which bound UCLA to host all home games at the Rose Bowl through December 31, 2042, and was later amended in 2014 to extend the term to June 30, 2044.

The contract contains a non-compete clause prohibiting the university from playing home games “in any facility located in the Los Angeles area or in Orange County other than the Rose Bowl Stadium.” Under the terms, UCLA may terminate the deal only if a “Game-Threatening Default” by RBOC prevents the school from hosting a scheduled home game — and even then, the city must first be given notice and an opportunity to cure the default.

In correspondence included in the lawsuit, Pasadena attorneys said they had repeatedly warned UCLA that any move to play games at SoFi Stadium or any other venue in Los Angeles or Orange County would “indisputably constitute a breach” of its lease with the Rose Bowl. According to the filing, UCLA representatives told the city during phone calls on October 18 and October 23 that the school “will no longer play its home football games at the Rose Bowl and wants to ‘move on’ from its contractual obligations,” and suggested a “commercial solution” to end the agreement.

In an October 28 letter, Pasadena attorney Nima Mohebbi rejected that proposal, writing that the city and the Rose Bowl Operating Company “will not agree to an early termination.” The letter said UCLA “voluntarily extended the term of the Agreement through June 30, 2044” and “expressly waived any right to terminate early.” It demanded that UCLA provide written confirmation by 5 p.m. that day that it would comply with its lease through 2044, warning that failure to do so would result in Pasadena seeking “specific performance and declaratory and injunctive relief” to enforce the agreement.

“UCLA’s attempt to walk away from its contractual commitments is not only unlawful but profoundly unfair,” the lawsuit states. “The City and RBOC have relied on UCLA’s promises for decades, investing heavily in infrastructure, maintenance, and improvements that directly benefit the university’s athletic program.”

The Bruins have struggled for years to fill the 88,000-seat Rose Bowl. The lawsuit notes that Pasadena invested more than $150 million in stadium upgrades in 2010, in part to meet UCLA’s requests, on the expectation that the program’s Pac-12 (now Big Ten) profile would translate into sustained attendance; instead, softer crowds, shifting conference schedules, and televised weeknight games have made it harder for the city to recoup those costs through game-day revenue.

SoFi Stadium continues to draw high-profile events that once made the Rose Bowl a premier West Coast destination. Superstar performers such as Beyoncé and Taylor Swift, who both previously played the Rose Bowl, now choose SoFi for their multi-night tour stops, underscoring the shifting entertainment landscape in Southern California.

The Inglewood venue has also secured hosting rights for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a global showcase that Pasadena’s Rose Bowl — site of the 1994 World Cup Final — unsuccessfully bid to host again. At roughly 12 miles from UCLA’s Westwood campus, SoFi Stadium is less than half the distance of the Rose Bowl, which sits about 27 miles away in Pasadena.

The proximity has fueled speculation that convenience and access for players and fans factored into UCLA’s decision to explore a move. Still, city officials argue the Rose Bowl’s tradition, setting, and legacy far outweigh logistical considerations, warning that the loss of marquee tenants and major events to SoFi highlights Pasadena’s growing challenge in maintaining the Rose Bowl’s standing as a premier venue amid modern competition and shifting audience demand.

“For decades, Pasadena and its residents have poured their hearts — and millions of taxpayer dollars — into sustaining and celebrating this partnership,” the complaint reads. “Now, UCLA has chosen to cast that aside.” The city and RBOC seek declaratory relief confirming UCLA’s contractual obligations, injunctive relief to prevent the move, and additional damages to recover costs linked to stadium improvements made to accommodate the team over the years.

The suit describes the Rose Bowl as a “National Historic Landmark and the beating heart of college football in Southern California,” accusing UCLA of abandoning not only a venue but a civic and cultural institution central to the city’s identity. “The City and RBOC ask only that UCLA practice what it teaches — that honor still matters, that promises endure, and that integrity is not for sale,” the complaint concludes. The university has not yet filed a response.

 

Posted
Quote

In an October 28 letter, Pasadena attorney Nima Mohebbi rejected that proposal, writing that the city and the Rose Bowl Operating Company “will not agree to an early termination.” The letter said UCLA “voluntarily extended the term of the Agreement through June 30, 2044” and “expressly waived any right to terminate early.” It demanded that UCLA provide written confirmation by 5 p.m. that day that it would comply with its lease through 2044, warning that failure to do so would result in Pasadena seeking “specific performance and declaratory and injunctive relief” to enforce the agreement.

Yeah good luck with that, UCLA.  Morons. 

Posted
22 hours ago, Sbbruin said:

I don't know what the gameday environment is at Carter Stadium for TCU games, but imagine moving their home games to Jerryworld?  I've been there, and the gameday experience sucks.  I mean, the outcome was great though...

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Posted
2 minutes ago, Js1 said:

Yeah good luck with that, UCLA.  Morons. 

Yeah, I'm in commercial real estate and negotiate commercial leases pretty much daily.  And enforce them as well when necessary.  In fact, dealing with a similar situation where we anticipate a breach by a very large retail tenant.  They have vacated and while they continue to pay rent, they were recently acquired by a large VC firm who is notorious for defaulting and litigating.  They have offered a pitiful termination offer (roughly $030 on the dollar).  Their rent is way above market.  We've told them to get fucked.  Well I have specifically.  They have threatened to declare bankruptcy which would allow them to reject the lease outright, but their financial profile doesn't really allow for that.  So we are prepared to go to battle on this.  And we should prevail.  In this case, UCLA has absolutely no real grounds to terminate.  While we would have an obligation to mitigate by finding a replacement tenant, thereby reducing the tenant's obligation, the Rose Bowl really doesn't have that option.  There are no potential replacement tenants.  I see no way UCLA prevails.  And there very likely is an attorneys' fees clause which would require the prevailing party to be reimbursed for it out of pocket costs to enforce.  

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