Is there going to be a new home for the Rose Bowl soon? That question sits at the center of a legal battle unfolding in Los Angeles Superior Court, where the UC Regents have filed separate motions asking a judge to compel arbitration of the Rose Bowl Operating Committee’s three contractual claims. Those claims allege that UCLA is wrongfully exploring options for a new home football venue — specifically SoFi Stadium in Inglewood — and the Regents are also seeking to pause the case while the arbitration request is decided.
In court papers filed Thursday with Judge Joseph Lipner, attorneys for the UC Regents, representing UCLA, argue that the RBOC and its co-plaintiff, the city of Pasadena, are bound by an arbitration agreement and that “no exceptions apply to RBOC’s claims.”
The UC Regents’ attorneys also state that UCLA did not deny speaking with representatives of SoFi Stadium.
“After all, UCLA has a duty to constantly assess what is best for the university, its football team, its fans, its alumni and its students,” the UC Regents’ filing says. “Rather, as UCLA simply informed RBOC, the agreement does not prevent UCLA from having discussions with other venues.”
According to the Regents’ attorneys, UCLA promptly addressed the RBOC’s concerns and offered to work in good faith to resolve various issues between the parties. Instead, the RBOC filed suit and unsuccessfully sought a temporary restraining order.
A hearing on the motion to stay proceedings is scheduled for Jan. 8, and the motion to compel arbitration is set for Jan. 22.
The suit, filed Oct. 29, seeks to enforce terms of a lease agreement that the plaintiffs say requires UCLA to play home football games at the Rose Bowl through 2044 — a fact the UC Regents’ attorneys acknowledge in their filings.
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 suit states.
–City News contributed to this report
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