SMQB: An Open Letter to UCLA Administrators on UCLA Football's Possible Move to SoFi Stadium

UCLA Administrators should avoid destroying the UCLA football gameday experience.

The Rose Bowl was a sea of red last night with a lot of Nebraska fans in attendance. (Photo Credit: Joe Piechowski)

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Chancellor Frenk, Executive Vice Chancellor Hunt, Athletic Director Jarmond, Vice Chancellors Turteltaub, Agostin, & Swerdlow and everyone else receiving this email:

Subject: Don’t Destroy the UCLA Football Gameday Experience!

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I became a Bruin in 1989 when I was admitted as a freshman after growing up in New Jersey. Aside from Freshman Orientation, my first Bruin experience — even before I attended my first class at UCLA — occurred at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, September 23rd.

That afternoon, Bruin quarterback Bret Johnson threw two touchdown passes, but UCLA lost the game 24-23 in front of nearly 72,000 fans. While the Bruins didn’t win the game that day, they had me as a fan for life.

With the exception of just a handful of a few seasons in the 90s when I had moved back home, I have attended almost every Bruin home game since that September afternoon.

My wife and I have been season tickets holders continuously since I returned in 1998. That’s 27 years of consecutively attending nearly every Bruin game at the Rose Bowl.

I have spent thousands of dollars over that time to support UCLA student-athletes, not just in the football program but across the board, because, let’s be honest, football pays for most of the other teams UCLA has.

Anyone who has met me knows that I bleed blue and gold.

Yet this morning, I am concerned that the upcoming game against Washington may be my last game as an alum and season ticket holder.

No, it’s not because of the lack of success the Bruins have had on the field this season.

If that were it, I probably would have cancelled my tickets years ago during the Dorrell years. Or the Neuheisel years. Or the end of the Jim Mora years. Or the Chip Kelly years.

To be sure, there have been times over the years when I have thought about cancelling them. After all, today’s high-def TVs bring a close-up experience I honestly cannot get at the Rose Bowl.

The reason I’m concerned that the Washington game may be my last home game for the foreseeable future is the fact that, last night, I heard that a move to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood for next season is “a done deal.”

I cannot stress just how short-sighted this possibility really is, but I’m going to try.

In short, a move to SoFi Stadium will destroy the UCLA football gameday experience.

In all my time as a Bruin season ticketholder, I have been to lots of bad football games. Heck, if I was only looking at UCLA’s on-field success as a reason to keep coming back, I would have cancelled years ago based on that.

The reason I keep coming back year after year is the overall fan experience at the Rose Bowl.

The thing which makes UCLA football unique is the entire gameday experience. It’s about tailgating—usually north of the stadium on Brookside golf course, but sometimes at other locations around the stadium. I’ve been to lots of bad football games, but I have NEVER been to a bad tailgate! Why?

It’s about the camaraderie and fun to be had with both my fellow Bruin fans as well as that of visiting fans as well. Yesterday, we had our biggest tailgate this season with more than 30 people there with both UCLA and Nebraska fans.

That will NOT be possible at SoFi Stadium because the facility only allows tailgating in one small lot that is pretty distant from the Stadium. So, UCLA will go from having one of the best tailgating experiences in college football to one of the worst.

Admittedly, I was disappointed to see a sea of red on the East side of the Rose Bowl when I arrived at my seats last night, but that’s a tribute to Nebraska fans and it gives UCLA fans something to aspire to.

However, it would be wrong to assume that this is a location problem. Have you watched the games of either of LA’s pro football teams at SoFi Stadium? The fans of the Rams are regularly outnumbered in their own state-of-the-art building by fans who love their rival San Francisco 49ers.

So, moving to the shiny new place won’t solve UCLA’s attendance problems, and thinking it will shows a lack of understanding on the part of anyone who thinks that it will.

Then, there is the cost. Over the past few years, we’ve seen prices rise like never before. Over my time attending games, I’ve seen parking go from being free to now costing $38 per game if purchased in advance and $43 per game if purchased at the game. Parking for next Sunday’s Rams game in one of the more distant lots is currently selling for $66. That a whopping 73% more than it cost me to park at the Rose Bowl yesterday. And, that doesn’t even include the cost of tickets.

“Well,” the argument goes, “SoFi is half the distance from campus. So, more fans will be inclined to attend.” To be sure, that’s true. But the 405 Freeway goes by that name for a reason: Because you more 4 o’ 5 miles per hour! So, while SoFi Stadium may not be as far away from Westwood as Pasadena, the 405 will ensure that no one’s drive to the game is any shorter.

All of that doesn’t even get into how much Pasadena’s lawsuit against UCLA will cost the university. UCLA has an ironclad contract with the Rose Bowl Operating Committee. There is no buyout included. So, you cannot just write a check to get out of the current lease. Estimates are that Pasadena’s damages could exceed one billion with a B dollars. Are you really prepared to put UCLA on the hook for that sort of a payout? After reading about the effort to avoid paying the proposed federal government settlement, I highly doubt that.

As the administrators in charge of making this decision, you need to realize that that leaving the Rose Bowl will have long term ramifications on UCLA’s fanbase. Moving UCLA football from the Rose Bowl will destroy the UCLA gameday experience.

Are you really willing to lose many of the team’s season ticketholders by moving from the Rose Bowl to SoFi Stadium? At the very least, I would suggest you ask each and every current season ticketholder how we feel about this proposed move.

And, I’m not talking about the kind of survey which generates the information you want to justify such a move. Be honest with your customers. Make sure they know how things will change. Make sure they know how much tickets and parking will cost. Make sure they know how limited tailgating will be.

I don’t know who or why this move is being considered but the bottom line is simple: It’s a terrible idea which will only further diminish support for UCLA football.

When other Bruin fans like myself make the decision not to renew our football season tickets due to a move to SoFi Stadium, it won’t just be the football program hurt by the decision. It will be all of UCLA’s student-athletes.

In recent years, the UCLA Athletic Department has been running a budget deficit due to insufficient revenue coming into the department. The move to the Big Ten was needed to avoid widespread cuts to UCLA’s non-revenue sports teams. Why would you consider blowing another hole into the Athletic Department budget?

For the life of me, I cannot think of a single thing which makes this proposed move a good idea.

Make no mistake. If this moves really does happen, I will still bleed blue and gold.

I will still cheer on my fellow Bruins. I will continue watching them play football each Saturday every fall, but I will do so from the comfort of my living room for free, rather than contributing to the Wooden Athletic Fund or buying tickets and parking to attend games in person.

But you will have lost a donor and customer. Permanently. After 36 years.

If you wish to discuss this further, give me a call. I know the Athletic Department has my phone number because they call each year to remind me about making my annual WAF donation and renewing my season tickets.

If you actually care about listening to your customers, come tailgate with me on November 21. I don’t know if the Bruins will beat Washington, but considering that it may be the last time tailgating at a UCLA football home game, it will be a helluva tailgate party.

I wish you luck replacing all of us who, like me, won’t be making this move with you.

Go Bruins, indeed.


Sincerely,
Joe Piechowski
Political Science ‘89
Football STH continuously since 1998

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