A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge will hear arguments Wednesday morning on a temporary restraining order sought by the City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company to prevent UCLA from taking any actions related to relocating its home football games to SoFi Stadium or any other venue in Los Angeles or Orange counties while the city and stadium lawsuit on the matter is pending.
The hearing was set to take place in Department 72 at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse in Los Angeles before Judge Joseph Lipner at 8:30 a.m.
Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company filed the lawsuit Oct. 30 in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging that UCLA has “unequivocally expressed its intent to abandon the Rose Bowl Stadium and relocate its home football games to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood,” calling the move “a profound betrayal of trust.”
The complaint cites UCLA’s lease agreement, which requires the university to play its home football games at the Rose Bowl through 2044. The lease, originally signed in 1982 and amended in 2010 and 2014, prohibits UCLA from hosting home games “in any facility located in the Los Angeles [area] or in Orange County, other than the [Rose Bowl Stadium].”
Pasadena officials said UCLA representatives informed them during phone calls on Oct. 18 and Oct. 23 that the university “no longer wants to play its home football games at the Rose Bowl and wants to ‘move on’ from its contractual obligations,” according to Altadena Now. UCLA also proposed a “commercial solution” to end the agreement early.
On Monday, Nov. 11, the city and the stadium operator filed a motion for a temporary restraining order to block UCLA from finalizing any agreement with SoFi Stadium.
The filing states: “There is no way to sugarcoat it: UCLA has confirmed its imminent departure, severely destabilizing Plaintiffs’ core operations.
Pasadena and the Rose Bowl argue they would suffer “immediate and irreparable harm if the status quo is not preserved during the pendency of this lawsuit.
The city contends that UCLA’s departure would jeopardize the stadium’s finances and threaten repayment of taxpayer-backed bonds.
The lawsuit claims “the harm caused to the city and its residents could easily exceed a billion dollars (or more),’” according to the Los Angeles Times.
If granted, the temporary restraining order could bar UCLA from finalizing any agreement with SoFi Stadium and require the university to continue hosting home football games at the Rose Bowl until the court rules on a broader preliminary injunction—or until the case is resolved on its merits. If denied, UCLA’s path to relocation could proceed.
UCLA has one remaining home game this season: a Nov. 22, 2025, finale against Washington.
The outcome of Wednesday’s hearing could determine whether that game—and future seasons—will be played in Pasadena or elsewhere.
Editor’s note: Pasadena Now’s Eddie Rivera will be at the court house Wednesday morning for all developments.
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