UCLA to play 2026 season at Rose Bowl

Article posted by Coliseum, March 9^th, 2026

Image: Coliseum GSVA / Michael Rennschmied

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (US) football heads into the season with fresh leadership thanks to the hire of the new Head Coach Bob Chesney but its home stadium will stay the same.

‘PASADENA Weekly’ stated that the UCLA football will play its 2026 season at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, United States, the school recently announced despite the uncertainty as a legal battle continues over the program’s future home stadium. The decision comes after the University considered a move to the 70,240-capacity SoFi Stadium in Inglewood (US).

The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States.

The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles, in college football as members of the Big Ten Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The Bruins play their home games off campus at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California (US).

The Big Ten Conference is a US collegiate athletic Conference. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1896 it predates the founding of its regulating organization, the NCAA. It is the oldest NCAA Division I Conference and is based in Rosemont, Illinois.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates the student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States and one (1) in Canada. It also organizes the athletic programs of the colleges and helps over 500,000 college student athletes who compete annually in college sports. The headquarters is located in Indianapolis, Indiana.

The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), formerly known as Division I-A, is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of the largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2025 season there are 10 Conferences and 138 schools in the FBS.

The 89,702-capacity Rose Bowl Stadium is an outdoor athletic stadium located in Pasadena, California, United States. Opened in October 1922 the stadium is recognized as a National Historic Landmark and a California Historic Civil Engineering landmark.

‘PASADENA Weekly’ further stated that Mary Osako, UCLA Vice- Chancellor for Strategic Communications, issued the following statement, “The UCLA will play the upcoming football season at the Rose Bowl. We know how much game day means to the Bruins – to our students, the alumni and the fans who plan their autumn around Saturdays together. Our priority is delivering a strong season experience for our student-athletes and our community and we have great momentum in our football program. During this unprecedented time in college athletics the UCLA will always be guided by what’s best for our student-athletes and the Bruin community.”

The Bruins have called the Pasadena stadium their home since 1982 but in October 2025 the City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company filed a lawsuit regarding the UCLA allegedly “negotiating” in private to exit its lease to relocate to the SoFi Stadium. The UCLA’s bid to move the case to arbitration was denied by a judge.

The mission of the Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC) is to improve the quality of life in Pasadena by providing top quality entertainment and by generating revenue through the operation of a world-class stadium and a professional quality golf course complex.

The lease between the UCLA and the Rose Bowl Operating Company extends through 2044 and limits its control over seating, suites and the ancillary revenue streams. Currently, the UCLA does not receive Suite revenue.

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