UCLA's Rose Bowl Stadium Update Impacts USC Trojans' Schedule

Late in the 2025 season, it was announced that UCLA could be moving out of the Rose Bowl for home football games starting in as early as 2026. The Bruins have been playing at the Rose Bowl since 1982, and it is widely considered to be the most historic college football stadium in the country, mostly because of the Rose Bowl being game played there every season. 

Outside of college football, the Rose Bowl has hosted five Super Bowls and the 1994 World Cup Final. The venue also hosts concerts and other soccer games throughout the year.

The stadium that was looking like it would be the new home of UCLA was SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. SoFi Stadium opened in 2020 and is the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers of the NFL. The Bruins would have become the first college team to call SoFi their home. That will not be the case in 2026 as the Bruins will spend at least one more season at the Rose Bowl. 

“UCLA will play the upcoming football season at the Rose Bowl,” UCLA vice chancellor of strategic communications Mary Osako told the California Post. 

This means that there will be at least one more iteration of the USC-UCLA rivalry in the Rose Bowl when the two face off to wrap up the 2026 regular season. 

With news of UCLA moving to SoFi, questions arose about how the two college teams would manage after the Olympic Games in 2028 with both the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi expected to be featured heavily. How long the Bruins will stay at the Rose Bowl is unclear, but those questions can be put to rest for now.

USC-UCLA Rivalry

USC and UCLA have been playing each other in football since the 1929 season. In their 95 all-time meetings, the Trojans lead the series 52-34-7. Meeting No. 96 will be in the Rose Bowl. 

The game has alternated each year from being at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Rose Bowl since 1982. Prior to then, UCLA also called the Coliseum their home. If UCLA does eventually move out of the Rose Bowl to play in the new SoFi Stadium, it will be a disappointment to many fans as they will be leaving behind decades of history. 

Something college football has have over the NFL is its traditions. Whether it be rivalries that date back over a century, stadium chants, or a pre-game ritual, there is a magical aspect of the sport that can’t quite be replicated. That’s always been a huge draw to the sport. 

As the landscape of college football continues to change with NIL, conference realignment, and an expanded College Football Playoff, some of these traditions are going away. USC and UCLA playing in the historic Rose Bowl will likely end up being one of them.