UCLA preparing to break Rose Bowl lease, move football home games to SoFi Stadium

LOS ANGELES — UCLA is closing in on a landmark deal to relocate its home football games from the Rose Bowl to SoFi Stadium beginning in 2026, according to 247 Sports and Bruin Report Online. One source described the move as a “near-done deal,” with several staffers speaking about the switch as though it were already inevitable.

An official announcement is expected after the current college football season, marking the end of more than four decades of UCLA football at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins have called the historic Pasadena venue home since 1982.

The motivation is almost entirely financial, with UCLA projecting far greater revenue from premium seating, suites and sponsorship opportunities at SoFi. The Inglewood stadium — home to the Rams and Chargers — opened in 2020 and seats 70,240. It sits roughly 12 miles from UCLA’s Westwood campus, compared to the 32-mile trip to Pasadena.

To make the move, the university would have to buy out its existing lease with the City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company, which runs through June 2044. Sources estimated the buyout could cost between $60 million and $80 million.

The fight may not end there. Pasadena officials have already taken legal action, filing a lawsuit on Oct. 29 accusing UCLA of violating the trust and terms of the long-standing agreement by pursuing games elsewhere. Stadium representatives and city officials have publicly argued that UCLA’s departure could result in more than $1 billion in losses when accounting for economic impact, stadium sponsorships and long-term event projections.

If the move becomes official, more legal battles are expected. The City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company have signaled they will seek damages, asserting that the departure would destabilize stadium revenue and the surrounding business community.

A potential relocation would dramatically reshape UCLA’s football footprint. The Rose Bowl, with its 89,702-seat capacity and century-old history, has hosted five Super Bowls, two Olympics, World Cup finals and some of the most iconic games in college football history. SoFi carries its own prestige as the NFL’s most modern venue and a future host site for the 2028 Olympics.

UCLA’s crowds have dwindled in recent years, and the program believes a sleek, intimate NFL stadium could boost attendance, corporate partnerships and luxury sales in ways the Rose Bowl cannot.

What began as speculation inside the athletic department has accelerated into a matter of when — not if — the Bruins leave Pasadena. Once the season ends, UCLA is expected to go public with its most substantial football move in four decades, setting up a legal and emotional battle over one of college football’s most storied homes.