The City and the Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC) have filed an emergency court motion seeking to block UCLA from moving its home football games out of the Rose Bowl, arguing that the university’s reported plan to relocate to SoFi Stadium violates a long-term lease agreement and would cause “immediate and irreparable harm” to the city and its taxpayers.
Filed Monday in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the ex parte application for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction asks a judge to prohibit UCLA from “conducting any home games in any facility located in the Los Angeles area or Orange County other than the Rose Bowl Stadium” and from attempting to terminate its contract with the city.
The filing cites a 2014 restated agreement committing UCLA to play its home football games at the Rose Bowl through June 30, 2044, in exchange for the city issuing nearly $200 million in bonds to fund stadium improvements made specifically for the Bruins.
Under that arrangement, UCLA pays no rent, and the Rose Bowl’s revenues—anchored by the team’s home games—help cover the stadium’s operating costs and debt service.
According to the complaint, UCLA officials told Pasadena representatives last month that the university was “moving on” from the Rose Bowl after more than four decades.
The city argues UCLA’s position destabilizes the stadium’s finances and threatens the repayment of taxpayer-backed bonds tied to its renovation projects.
“UCLA’s commitment to play its home football games at the Rose Bowl Stadium was the core of the bargain,” the city’s filing states. “Without that commitment, the City and its residents are deprived of the ability to plan and manage the stadium’s schedule and business operations.”
The 44-page motion, supported by declarations from City Attorney Michele Beal Bagneris and several stadium executives, also argues that the Rose Bowl’s public identity and economic ecosystem depend on UCLA’s presence.
It warns that losing the university could trigger layoffs, donor withdrawals, and a credit downgrade for Pasadena if stadium revenues fall short of debt obligations.
The city likens the case to earlier disputes over sports franchises in New York and Minnesota, where courts found that civic prestige and community trust justified injunctions preventing teams from moving.
A hearing before Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner is scheduled for Wednesday, November 12 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 72 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse.
If granted, the temporary restraining order would require UCLA to continue hosting its home football games at the Rose Bowl at least until the court rules on a broader preliminary injunction—and potentially until the case is resolved on the merits.
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