UCLA turns down proposal to play at $5.5 billion stadium this year originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
UCLA will remain at the Rose Bowl for the 2026 football season, university officials confirmed, ending speculation that the Bruins could relocate home games to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
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“UCLA will play the upcoming football season at the Rose Bowl,” vice chancellor of strategic communications Mary Osako said in a statement to the California Post. “We know how much game day means to Bruins — to our students, alumni and fans who plan their autumn around Saturdays together.”
The decision follows months of uncertainty and legal tension. The city of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company previously filed suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court amid reports that UCLA intended to move to SoFi Stadium.
The complaint argued the potential departure would represent a “profound betrayal of trust” and claimed the city could suffer up to $1 billion in damages. Pasadena officials have said taxpayers invested more than $150 million in renovations to the stadium.
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The Bruins usher in a new era under first-year head coach Bob Chesney. He inherits a program coming off a 3-9 season in 2025. Quarterback Nico Iamaleava returns after totaling nearly 2,000 passing yards and 505 rushing yards last season. UCLA also welcomed 41 transfers, headlined by the nation’s No. 11 portal class.
The Bruins open Sept. 5 at University of California, Berkeley, renewing a former Pac-12 rivalry as UCLA enters its third Big Ten season.
