After UCLA's inexplicable decision, Rose Bowl should act quickly and call USC, others

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According to multiple reports from sources inside the UCLA athletic apartment, it is near a done deal that the school will move its football program’s home games from the Rose Bowl to SoFi Stadium beginning in 2026.

When I wrote about this topic and bashed the Bruins just a few weeks ago, I didn’t think it would actually happen and next season no less! I am shocked. But once again, I underestimated Bruin incompetence.

I’m not going to write about why this is a bad idea that could doom the UCLA football program, I already did that in the previous article I mentioned. In this version, since UCLA is already doomed anyway and my rant is just going to fall on deaf ears, I am going to focus on the Rose Bowl and what it can do to keep its college football history alive well beyond just hosting the Rose Bowl game every January.

Go ahead and sue UCLA if you want, Rose Bowl, but to some degree, let the past die so you can focus your efforts on building an even better future.

That starts with giving USC a call.

1 USC game a year

In my previous article, I acknowledged that the Rose Bowl means a lot to USC and Trojan fans because the Trojans have won so many Rose Bowl games. I proposed that, since it clearly doesn’t mean anything to UCLA administration, USC should swoop in and take it over.

No, this is not a full move from the Coliseum to the Rose Bowl. We’re not that stupid — we know the value of an on-campus stadium that holds all of our football history (UCLA will have neither next season). But, I proposed that USC should host one game a year at the Rose Bowl, specifically an intriguing nonconference matchup or a game akin to the Trojans’ recent Friday night game against Northwestern.

Not a premium game

“If the Bruins really do leave, USC should look at what it would take to schedule one regular season game a year at the Rose Bowl to keep its history alive and evolving,” I wrote.

“I’m not saying move a key conference home game. USC is working on rebuilding its fan base and packing the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. So they can’t squander their best opportunities to get fans to the Coliseum. They, unlike the Bruins, have a venue that is accessible to students of all backgrounds a short distance away from campus. But there are some intriguing possibilities. For example, USC could revive its rivalry with Stanford and play a nonconference game against the Cardinal at the Rose Bowl early in the season. I’m sure both fan bases would appreciate an opportunity to relive their Rose Bowl memories, and see the two teams play each other again.”

Friday night at the Rose Bowl?

“A game akin to this year’s Friday night matchup against Northwestern also makes sense for a move to the Rose Bowl. On a Friday night when you struggle to attract a full USC crowd anyway, why not give them an intriguing, once-in-a season opportunity to be in the Rose Bowl? If UCLA leaves, USC has more of a right to claim the Rose Bowl than anybody with their 25 postseason wins. So it should make the stadium Trojan Territory, even if it’s just once a year. Heck, it’s only 14 miles from USC anyway. If 13 is good and 26 is too much, USC would be right in range of the bizarre UCLA theory of what constitutes as a close enough stadium to campus.I hope we never get to a scenario like that, but with UCLA’s incompetence, you never know.”

2028 Olympics

There also may be an intriguing reason for USC to move to the Rose Bowl for one full season.

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is going to be used for track and field events in 2028, and that will likely require a lot of construction and other work to make possible. There’s a lot of speculation that USC may be forced to play its home games elsewhere in 2028 based on other construction timelines at similar venues that were converted to track stadiums.

Backup plan could snap into place

I am holding out hope that the construction crew will get it done and the Coliseum will be ready to go in 2028, but if the Trojans must play elsewhere for half or even the entire 2028 season, they should play in the Rose Bowl.

They could make it an year of celebrating USC’s Rose Bowl history, scheduling as many of the Trojans’ past Rose Bowl opponents as possible. From a marketing standpoint, that could help Trojan fans feel as though the game is special and not an inconvenience. They could also stick it to their rivals with good student attendance.

Plus, what is their other option? Also playing at SoFi?! Sharing a home not only with their hated rivals in Westwood but also the Rams and Chargers? That sounds awful.

Other school neutral-site options

The Trojans aren’t the only team who should care about keeping the Rose Bowl alive, but geography has to be factored in as well.

I really like the idea of a San Diego State vs. Fresno State neutral site matchup at the Rose Bowl. It’s kind of in between both schools, SDSU could also host because it’s closer to the Aztecs. Both schools will be a part of the new Pac 12…it feels like there’s a real branding opportunity here.

The Rose Bowl could reunite Pac-12 opponents both new and old. What about a neutral site game between Arizona State and Cal? Utah and Oregon? The extra travel would take some convincing, but for one game a year, I think it could be done.

Regardless, the Rose Bowl should make calls to anyone who was or could be ever affiliated with the Rose Bowl game, whether they are current or former members of the Big Ten or Pac-12.

Other college sports?

Ok, let’s get wacky. Remember when Iowa played a women’s basketball game in their football stadium? How about when Nebraska played a women’s volleyball game in their football stadium?

Yes, I’m going there. USC women’s and/or men’s basketball in the Rose Bowl. If they did their due diligence marketing it, I think they could fill it up more than UCLA football games.

I’d also love to see USC women’s soccer and women’s/men’s volleyball continue to grow enough to make this idea feasible for them too.

Imagine a Rose Bowl patch on USC basketball jerseys…that would sell at the team store!

Don’t get me wrong, the Rose Bowl is a football stadium with football history and its efforts should primarily focus on football, but let’s try something new while we’re at it.

The big picture

Ok, so let’s think about what the Rose Bowl’s future could look like if they make all these calls.

Let’s say they get four football games a season: 1 USC home game, 1 new Pac-12 game, 1 old Pac-12/Big Ten game, and the Rose Bowl game itself.

Then, add on 1-2 events with other college sports.

Then fill in the gaps with international or MLS soccer games, NFL preseason games, XFL games, one of the NHL’s outdoor games, concerts. Get crazy and host a Dodgers Spring Training game there. There was a Dodger game at the Coliseum as recently as 2008! Dodger Stadium hosts 81 home games a year they’ll be fine losing one exhibition game to keep the Rose Bowl afloat.

I believe that at this point, the Rose Bowl is a bigger attraction than UCLA football itself. It’s such a great venue that people will come out to see their sport of choice played in it, no matter what that sport is, but especially if its a college sport. The Rose Bowl team needs to bet on that, pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and start making confident calls.

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: UCLA football is leaving Rose Bowl gates open for USC and others

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