SMQB: Home Sweet Home! UCLA Football to Play 2026 at Rose Bowl
The announcement follows the dismissal of UCLA CFO Stephen Agostini, who was a driving force behind the proposed move to SoFi Stadium
It’s been a good few weeks to be a UCLA football fan.
Of course, new head coach Bob Chesney has continued working hard to rebuild the Bruins as quickly as possible.
But it’s what’s happened away from the football field that’s making it great time to be a Bruin fan right now.
First, on Tuesday, February 3rd, LA County Superior Court Judge Joseph Lipner rejected motions by UCLA to force the dispute between the school and Pasadena into arbitration and to stay the case. Those decisions meant that the ongoing breach-of-contract lawsuit would proceed in court.
It was a significant win for Pasadena as it would mean thavt the dispute could not be settled quietly and out of view of the public.
But the bigger win may have come over the past week. In a Daily Bruin article published on February 13th, UCLA CFO Stephen Agostini alleged that financial mismanagement contributed to UCLA’s $425 million deficit.
Then, on Tuesday, UCLA Chancellor Julio Frenk sent out a campuswide email announcing Agostini’s departure.
Immediately, it was seen as a potential positive development regarding UCLA’s future at the Rose Bowl. Ben Bolch, who recently left the LA Times for the California Post, posted to X:
Upon reading Bolch’s post, yours truly responding hoping that Agostini’s departure would put an end to the move SoFi:
It only took a few days for that to actually happen, at least for 2026. Bolch was on top of the story:
In a statement provided to the California Post, UCLA Vice Chancellor of Strategic Communication Mary Osako said:
“UCLA will play the upcoming football season at the Rose Bowl. We know how much game day means to Bruins — to our students, alumni and fans who plan their autumn around Saturdays together.
“Our priority is delivering a strong season experience for our student-athletes and our community, and we have great momentum in our football program. During this unprecedented time in college athletics, UCLA will always be guided by what’s best for our student-athletes and the Bruin community.”
The announcement gives the program at least a year to recover from the years of poor coaching, poor recruiting and poor performance under Chip Kelly and DeShaun Foster.
Of course, the arrival of Chesney has being celebrated in Westwood and beyond. At the UCLA-Indiana men’s basketball game last month, Chesney promised Bruin fans a Big Ten Championship, which received thunderous approval from the fans in attendance.
But that isn’t the only thing Chesney has done recently to help set the tone for the program. The same day the Daily Bruin interview with Agostini was published, UCLA Football posted a video of Coach Chesney addressing the team, explaining the importance of knowing the names of everyone supporting the program.
The excitement for the 2026 football program will continue to build as the team heads into Spring Practice for the first time under Chesney. New wide receivers coach Colin Lockett shared the Spring Practice schedule on X:
While there’s no word yet on which practices will be open to the public, I suspect that, given the course Chesney has set so far, I won’t be surprised if every practice is open to the public.
But, whether they all are or none are, I know I’m looking forward to being in Pasadena on Saturday, September 12th for the home opener against San Diego State. If you dropped your season tickets, or just have never had them, now is the time to come back to the Rose Bowl!
Go Bruins!!!
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Between the state of the program the past 8 years, the prospective move to a stadium I have absolutely no interest in, and the distance now from Ojai, I came a fraction of an inch to not renewing after 61 years for the family. This is great news and actually looking forward to the drive!
I agree with B4E, this is great news Joe! I’m sure Terry Donahue, located on the southwest concourse near the UCLA locker room, surrounded by his 151 bronze roses (representing his total wins with the Bruins) and Jackie Robinson, positioned outside the stadium near the main entrance (Gate A), depicted in his football uniform, are doing a very high five up there somewhere in the heavens given this announcement……Maybe they even let Keith Jackson join (located near the stadium's entrance) since he broadcasted a number of UCLA games in his career.