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Head coach DeShaun Foster said the session is structured as a mock game to help new players acclimate to game-day logistics. “Just kind of like a mock game. Just to go through the whole logistics of what a game day would look like. Like I said before, a lot of new faces,” Foster told On3.com. . “Just want them to kind of treat it how we treated an away stadium that we were going to (last season), making sure that they have been in there and it’s not, ‘Ah, shoot, it’s the Rose Bowl.’”
The open practice caps an offsite training camp in Costa Mesa, where players engaged in nightly “brotherhood meetings,” mixed-room hotel assignments, and no-phone curfews designed to build trust and cohesion. “A lot of tears,” Foster said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. “So I just like that the players were being vulnerable and letting their guard down because they saw the coaches do it. So, you know, I just think that really brought us together and we’re gonna see if it worked.”
Kicker Matten Bhaghani echoed the sentiment in Sports Illustrated. “Coach Fos has done a great job instilling brotherhood in us. We have ‘brotherhood meetings’ damn near almost every night. Compared to last year, the team is so much closer and you can really talk to anybody.”
The event also serves, according to UCLA Athletics, as a community engagement opportunity for residents in Pasadena and is expected to generate economic activity for local businesses near the iconic venue. Fans are encouraged to attend and experience the team’s preparations firsthand.
UCLA opens its season at the Rose Bowl 1001 Rose Bowl Drive on Friday, Aug. 30, against Utah, with kickoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
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