UCLA will hold spring football game at Rose Bowl on May 2

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

UCLA will hold spring football game at Rose Bowl on May 2
Aerial view of the Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California, with UCLA branding.
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 23: A general overall aerial view of the Rose Bowl stadium on November 23, 2023 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Kirby Lee/Getty Images)

UCLA football fans will get to refamiliarize themselves with a beloved stadium well before the season kicks off.

As expected, the Bruins will hold their spring game at the Rose Bowl at noon on May 2, the school announced Monday.

An aerial view of the Rose Bowl stadium on November 23, 2023 in Pasadena, California.
Getty Images

It’s a return to the stadium that the school considered abandoning for SoFi Stadium for the 2026 season before recently announcing it would come back. But UCLA has not committed to remaining at its longtime home beyond next season and is being sued by the Rose Bowl and the City of Pasadena for an anticipatory breach of contract.

Admission for the spring game is free for fans who request a ticket, and the format of the event will be determined closer to the event.

In recent years, UCLA has not held a true spring game, focusing more on individual drills and situational work.

A statue of former UCLA Bruins football coach Terry Donahue stands outside the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

Regardless of what the event entails, there figures to be plenty of intrigue. New coach Bob Chesney has already galvanized fans with his early rebuilding efforts after the Bruins went 5-10 in parts of two seasons under predecessor DeShaun Foster.

Chesney is coming off a season in which he guided James Madison to the College Football Playoff – a destination the Bruins have never come close to reaching. Chesney was selected the 2025 Sun Belt Conference’s Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the George Munger Coach of the Year Award.

UCLA is scheduled to open its first spring practice under Chesney on April 2 on campus.

For the spring game, Gate A at the Rose Bowl will open at 10 a.m., with parking lots H, K and I opening at 9 a.m. Parking is free and UCLA will enforce a clear bag policy for all fans.

The Bruins will open their home schedule on Sept. 12 against San Diego State, a week after playing their season opener against former Pac-12 rival California at Memorial Stadium in Berkeley.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos