A (possible) farewell to the Rose Bowl ends in disaster, fans reminisce on Pasadena memories

9 hours ago7 min read3 comments

The sprawling parking lots of the Rose Bowl were a sea of blue and gold, a carnival of tailgating tradition where the aging asphalt and repurposed golf course became hallowed ground every other Saturday. For Papo Fernandez, who’s been coming here since he was a kid, this isn’t just a pregame ritual; it’s a family reunion, a community built over decades of card games, corn hole, and shared cheers under the shadow of the San Gabriel Mountains.But the vibe in Pasadena carried a bittersweet edge, a ‘celebration’ tinged with dread, as UCLA’s potential move to the sleek, commercial confines of SoFi Stadium in Inglewood loomed like an uninvited guest. Fernandez led a raucous 'Hell no, don't go' chant, a sentiment echoed across the tents where generations of Bruins fans feared the death of their tradition.The argument from the university focuses on logistics—SoFi is closer to campus, theoretically easing the long-criticized travel for students. But ask anyone in the parking lot, and they’ll tell you it’s a lateral move at best.'It’s 10 miles closer, but in LA traffic, it’s a shuttle. Either way, it’s not on campus,' noted Josh Krug, a season ticket holder since 1988 who practically grew up at the Rose Bowl.His family isn’t sure they’ll renew their tickets if the move happens, a sentiment shared by Erika Zarate and Robert Carillo, whose 20 years of tailgating have turned strangers into fast friends. They worry SoFi’s stricter four-hour tailgate window and limited space will kill the spontaneous community that flourishes over six hours at the Rose Bowl.Shawn Tippets, honoring his roots with a Wilmington banner, called the night a conscious 'celebration' of what might be the last of its kind. The game itself—a brutal 48-14 loss to Washington—felt almost secondary, a disappointing footnote to the real drama unfolding in the lots.Inside, quarterback Luke Duncan ran through the smoke for perhaps the final time in this storied venue; outside, fans like Fernandez were already boxing up the memories, getting emotional at the thought of a future without this sacred space. The move represents a fundamental clash in college sports: the push for modern, revenue-friendly facilities versus the soul of fan experience.SoFi, a state-of-the-art NFL palace, offers luxury boxes and convenience but risks sterilizing the very atmosphere that defines college football—the messy, passionate, family-like gatherings that transform a parking lot into a home. As Tippets put it, 'Either way, we're going to follow the Bruins.but it's definitely going to be the end of an era. ' And for a community built on tradition, that era’s potential passing in a corporate stadium miles away feels less like a new chapter and more like a loss.

#featured

#UCLA Bruins

#Rose Bowl

#SoFi Stadium

#college football

#tailgating

#tradition

#fan sentiment

#stadium move