This story has been updated to fix typo.The Rose Bowl Stadium is known for its traditions and moments but even the historic venue has to be renovated to help reaffirm its place as a top-end destination in Southern California.
While the 102-year-old national historic landmark in Pasadena remains a captivating location for some, it does have to fend off the arrival of SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome, which are drawing some of the bigger events to Inglewood.
The Rose Bowl was completed in 1922 and has served as the host of Super Bowls and college football championship games among others. The venue will also host its third Olympic Games in 2028.
The Rose Bowl Operating Company and the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation announced the Lasting Legacy Campaign Monday morning. It is a revitalization plan for the stadium over the next several years.
The campaign is led by privately raised funds and features eight different projects, according to the Rose Bowl Stadium’s press release.
The projects will include a new field-level club in the south end zone and east-side standing sections. This falls under the first phase of the plan and is expected to be completed in 2026. The second phase will include the installation of one of the nation’s largest video boards beginning in 2028 after the Olympic Games.
CEO of the Rose Bowl Operating Company Jens Weiden said in the statement that ‘six of the eight projects are already fully funded or completed.’
Some of the stadium’s projects were already completed before UCLA’s first football season in the Big Ten Conference. The Rose Bowl had its marquee sign refurbished, saw infrastructure improvements to its water and gas systems and added east side safe-standing sections for Bruin students.
The marquee sign is over 70 years old and often used as part of the background of visitors’ photography to show others they were at the notable venue. The stadium also overhauled its new sound system for the first time since the 1990s and was noticeably used during the UCLA GameDay experience.
The Bruins have used the stadium for their home games since 1982.
‘The Rose Bowl Stadium has been our home for over forty years and America’s Stadium for more than one hundred,’ said UCLA athletic director Martin Jarmond. ‘We look forward to seeing the unmatched tradition of the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium paired with modern-day amenities that will enhance the fan experience for years to come.’
Based on rendered images released by the Rose Bowl, UCLA football players are seen running out of a new tunnel within the new south end zone club which has fans located on each side.
In the coming weeks, the Rose Bowl Game, which is ran by the Pasadena Tournament of Roses, will serve as a College Football Playoff quarterfinal game on New Year’s Day. An agreement was reached in 2022 which was considered the final hurdle before the CFP could expand to a 12-team playoff. This will be the first year for that expanded playoff.
For UCLA home games, the stadium covered a chunk of the seating on the north and south ends with tarps. Four of them held a letter spelling out U-C-L-A. The others displayed the logos of various sponsors. The maximum capacity for the Rose Bowl with tarps was 69,747.
The stadium has held well over 100,000 fans and most recently hosted the 2024 Rose Bowl Game with 96,371 in attendance to watch the CFP semifinal between Alabama and Michigan. It has not been stated what the new attendance figure could be after all renovations are complete.
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