Just returned home from the Rose Bowl. My take FWIW!

[HangTen Lion]

I don't see either UCLA or USC leaving for the new NFL stadium. USC will begin a major renovation of the Coliseum in a year. Additionally, the Coliseum is adjacent to the University. The last thing USC wants is to be like UCLA - busing your students to a distant stadium.

The Rose Bowl has a great history and is a beautiful stadium...the parking situation is indeed poor as many have mentioned here. I can't see UCLA wanting to give up this stadium either.

I do not expect USC to move to the new stadium because their long history with the Coliseum and proximity. It makes more sense for UCLA since they do not have a long tradition with the Rose bowl and the distance is similar. The Rose bowl may be a beautiful venue site but it's 1922 design is functionally obsolete. There is a reason the NFL passed on both the Coliseum and Rose Bowl as potential demos and rebuilds. They are looking to improve the game day experience and neither of these sites qualified for what they wanted to build for many different reasons.

 

[TrojanHorse98]

In 2013 USC took operational management control of the Coliseum (and sports arena which is now torn down) from the state/city governing board that used to run it. USC was to run the Coliseum for 98 years and committed to $100M in upgrades. this should ensure that USC is in the Coliseum for the rest of the century.

USC paid $1.3M in rent this year to the coliseum and it is inflation indexed.

USC will not be going anywhere.

UCLA, who knows what those clowns will do

 

[joeparules]

We had USC fans on both sides of our tailgate (including the family of a player) and they couldn't have been more hospitable. I haven't been to a lot of away PSU games, but USC fans are currently at the top of my list. The stadium has a LOT wrong with it but the entire parade/game experience was amazing!

 

[adh110]

Trojan Horse, some good points and observations. I could not believe the field conditions as well. They did not cover the field during the rain and it showed. This is amatuer and unecuseable for a event in its 103rd annual rendition. They never dealt with rain before?

One thing you are not equating when it comes to bandwagon fans vs alumni. There is no doubt that USC has far more bandwagon fans than Penn State. Just look at the difference in attendance from a good year to a bad one. It fluctuates at USC far greater than Penn State. USC is a private school with a much smaller student body. The amount of active alumni is not even close. USC has a very strong alumni base and its has a huge presence here in SoCal but it terms of sheer numbers it pales in comparison to Penn State. USC needs those bandwagon fans to fill a stadium much more than Penn State. I always felt if USC could move the university to UCSB's or Pepperdine's campus with an on-campus football stadium and their football history that would be a dream scenario.

As far as those that say they would have rather played another Pac-10 opponent? i disagree. It will always be tough to beat USC in the Rose Bowl. If USC is playing in the game than they have a great team and it's just short of a home game for the Trojans. Its an unfair advantage but Its been the case for over 100 years. If the game had been played less than 20 miles from Beaver Stadium than the result is not the same. The challenge of playing USC in the RB is exciting and our team earned the challenge. Colorado would have been a boring game.

One last caveat. The Rose bowl needs bulldozed. When the new stadium is finished in Inglewood the game should be moved there. I know that is wishful thinking but the Rose Bowl will never host another Super Bowl and times are changing with the demand for greater comforts and amenities. When the playoffs expand to 8 teams then the Rose Bowl game ceases to be an important game anymore. This will be the time to move the game to the new stadium.

i went to the 2009 rb game between penn state versus usc. i left unimpressed with the stadium. it seemed like there was only one way in and out of the stadium, bathrooms were horrendous, and the seating was terrible. however. i think the rose bowl has the most amazing of any bowl game and i cant imagine the game being played any other place.

 

[Jerademan74]

i went to the 2009 rb game between penn state versus usc. i left unimpressed with the stadium. it seemed like there was only one way in and out of the stadium, bathrooms were horrendous, and the seating was terrible. however. i think the rose bowl has the most amazing of any bowl game and i cant imagine the game being played any other place.

I guess you could say that the Rose Bowl is the best Bowl game but has the worst stadium facilities. That sure beats playing a game in a great stadium in the worst bowl game possible (like in Pontiac, MI).

 

[mjh218]

I agree that the game day experience at the RB is subpar compared to other stadiums (like the Sugar or Fiesta Bowl). The bathroom lines are long and if you are sitting in the middle of a row it is a gigantic pain to get out to go to the bathroom. Plus if you are in the chairback section you have to stand up every time someone passes by. It is literally impossible to let someone pass while staying seated.

But it is pretty cool to tailgate in the valley and look up and see the snow capped mountains. Pasadena is a Better location for a game versus the location of the new Rams stadium.