The UCLA Bruins entered the offseason with plenty of questions as a program, some of which were more of a focus than others. After UCLA hired head coach Bob Chesney and built up the roster for the 2026 college football season, one big question remained. Where would the Bruins play their home games next season?
In October, the Rose Bowl and the City of Pasadena sued UCLA for reportedly trying to move their home games to the newly built SoFi Stadium. The Bruins lease runs through the end of 2044 which complicated any potential move to a new stadium.
UCLA will officially return to the Rose Bowl in 2026
In a statement, UCLA Vice Chancellor for Communications Mary Osako laid out that the Bruins will be playing next season in the Rose Bowl.
"UCLA will play the upcoming football season at the Rose Bowl, we know how much game day means to Bruins — to our students, alumni and 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, UCLA will always be guided by what's best for our student-athletes and the Bruin community."Mary Osako
The Rose Bowl is such an iconic venue that continuing to keep it in the rotation each week is best for the sport. A move to a new stadium could still be a possibility in the future, but in the time being UCLA staying at the Rose Bowl is a win.
The biggest knock on the Rose Bowl is how far it is from UCLA's campus as shots go viral each week of the stands being empty. While the distance may be to blame, this is just as much on UCLA as the Bruins haven't given the fans a reason to come watch the games.
Bob Chesney is going to need to build this program back into a contender especially now with the tougher competition in the Big Ten. If the Bruins can become relevant again, the concerns over the stadium should quickly die down as the fans will want to make the trip every weekend.