Pasadena's breach-of-contract lawsuit against UCLA and the University of California Regents over the Rose Bowl will get a closed-door update at the Regents' Sept. 14–16 meeting at UCLA.
The Regents' Compliance and Audit Committee agenda for Tuesday, Sept. 15, lists "City of Pasadena, et al. v. Regents, et al. (Rose Bowl Litigation)" as a discussion item, according to the preliminary agenda posted by the UCLA Faculty Association. The three-day meeting runs Monday, Sept. 14, through Wednesday, Sept. 16, at UCLA's Luskin Conference Center.
The agenda labels the proceedings "informally stayed." No public vote or formal action is scheduled.
What the lawsuit is about
The City of Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company sued UCLA and the Regents on Oct. 29, 2025, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. The complaint alleges UCLA intends to abandon the Rose Bowl and move Bruins football to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, calling the move "a profound betrayal of trust," the Los Angeles Times reported.
UCLA's lease, restated in 2010 and amended in 2014, runs through June 30, 2044. It includes a non-compete clause barring UCLA from playing home games at any other venue in Los Angeles or Orange counties. Under the lease, UCLA pays no rent; the Rose Bowl receives a share of ticket sales, concessions and ancillary revenue.
Pasadena officials have said taxpayers invested more than $280 million in the stadium, including more than $150 million in renovations and an additional $130 million in recently refinanced bonds for capital improvements, Pasadena Now reported. The lawsuit contends UCLA's departure could cause harm "easily exceeding a billion dollars or more."
Court battles so far
Judge Joseph Lipner denied UCLA's motions to compel arbitration and stay the case on Feb. 5. He found the lease's arbitration clause covered only disputes over specific defects, not UCLA's alleged effort to abandon the contract.
The Regents appealed that ruling and sought a third stay of proceedings in April 2026. Nima Mohebbi, a partner at Sidley Austin LLP representing Pasadena and the Rose Bowl Operating Company, said in April 2026 court filings that the agreement "was the foundation for hundreds of millions of dollars in taxpayer-backed investments" and that "UCLA made a clear and binding commitment to play its home football games at the Rose Bowl through 2044 …"
Kroenke Sports & Entertainment LLC and Stadco LA LLC, entities affiliated with SoFi Stadium, were also added as defendants. The amended complaint alleges the SoFi defendants knowingly participated in discussions intended to lure UCLA from Pasadena.
What's happening now
UCLA confirmed it will play the 2026 football season at the Rose Bowl but has made no commitment beyond that, according to Rose Bowl Operating Company attorneys.
Pasadena Now reported on Aug. 10 that UCLA is scheduled to play seven home games at the stadium this fall.
The Rose Bowl Operating Company's fiscal year 2027 budget, presented to the city's Finance Committee in May, totals $92.9 million with a $9.9 million capital budget. The company has called the stadium's long-term challenges "significant," particularly around identifying capital funding.
Because the Sept. 15 agenda item is a closed-session discussion, no public outcome is expected from the Regents meeting. The next public court date in the case has not been announced.
