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Will USC Join UCLA at the Rose Bowl?

By Mark

USC has played its home football games at the Los Angeles Coliseum, an historic venue hard by the USC campus, for 80 years. However, the Trojans' lease of the Coliseum expires at the end of the season, Saturday, and negotiations for a new lease have not gone well.

In fact, USC officials have opened negotiations with Rose Bowl officials to move the Trojans home games to the Rose Bowl, where they would join archrival UCLA as a tenant. A lease deal is on the agenda of the Rose Bowl Operating Co.'s December 6 meeting, although USC insists no deal has been reached. The approval of UCLA is needed for any deal bringing USC to the Rose Bowl and UCLA was consulted before negotiations began. USC and UCLA used to share the Coliseum before UCLA moved to the Rose Bowl in 1984.

USC has offered the Coliseum $100 million for repairs and renovation but in return wants the right to operate the facility. The operating rights are apparently the major sticking point in the negotiations , but from the university's perspective, why should it commit significant funds to the renovation of a facility it does not control - especially when there have been issues over upkeep, maintenance, scheduling and just about everything else involved in the operation of a modern stadium. The resolution of the USC-Coliseum negotiations could also affect the drive to bring a NFL team to LA, as the Coliseum is the site that LA government leaders keep pushing. However, the NFL would prefer another site. If the Trojans are out of the picture, that could change.

Full post as published by Sports Biz on November 28, 2007 (boomark / email).