The city of Pasadena announced Thursday it has filed a lawsuit that aims to hold UCLA to its lease agreement to play its home football games at the Rose Bowl, with the university believed to be exploring a possible move to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
"On Wednesday, October 29, 2025, the city of Pasadena took the unfortunate but necessary step of filing a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court to enforce a lease agreement between the Rose Bowl Stadium and UCLA," according to a statement from the city. "That lease agreement is unambiguous, explicitly stating there is no option for UCLA to terminate the lease prior to its expiration in 2044."
UCLA officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuit was filed Wednesday by the city and the Rose Bowl Operating Company.
According to the city, a UCLA representative "has notified the city and Rose Bowl of UCLA's intent to take steps that will breach the agreement, an agreement that was signed back in 2010 and amended in 2014."
"The city expects UCLA will honor the terms of the agreement, and the City Council will do everything in its power to protect and defend the city’s contractual rights on behalf of the public interest, the city's residents, and all in our region," according to the city statement.
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The statement from the city said UCLA has been a partner for more than 40 years and the city and venue has exceeded its contractual obligations, including "significant time, effort, and financial resources" as well as "ongoing major renovation work," all in partnership with the university.
According to the lawsuit, UCLA has expressed its intent "to abandon the Rose Bowl Stadium and relocate its home football games to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood."
"This is not only a clear break of the contract that governs the parties' relationship, but it is also a profound betrayal of trust, of tradition, and of the very community that helped build UCLA football," the lawsuit states.
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