Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:1001 Rose Bowl Drive
Pasadena, California
Our Sports Superfan Says:
A true American legend, the Rose Bowl Stadium is one of the country's most famous sporting venues, and for a time was the largest stadium in the United States. Hosting Super Bowls, college football teams, concerts, Olympics, U.S. and international soccer and, of course, the "Granddaddy of them All" – The Rose Bowl Game.
Usually held each January 1st between the champions of the Big 10 and Pac 10 Conferences, the Rose Bowl is the oldest bowl game in the country, having been held since 1923 (with the exception of the 1942 game, held in North Carolina because of World War II). Its winner has won national championships in a number of years, including when it served as the BCS National Championship Game in 2002 and 2006. The 2006 game, in which Texas upset USC, is considered one of the greatest college football games ever played. In 2010, the stadium is scheduled to host the BCS title game in addition to the Rose Bowl Game.
A local school, UCLA, plays its home games here, having done so since 1982. As of 2007, the Bruins have continued their historic football success, advancing to one postseason home game or another five times since then. The Rose Bowl has also been the home of Caltech, high school football, and other assorted football games and events. Among these are some major soccer matches, including the finals of the 1994 men's and 1999 women's World Cups, both of which were decided in penalty shootouts, with Brazil beating Italy in '94 and the United States defeating China in '99. It was also the home of the Los Angeles Galaxy, of Major League Soccer, until they moved to a soccer-only facility in 2003. During the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the Rose Bowl was the home of the soccer competition.
Since its opening, the Rose Bowl has been expanded multiple times, leaving it with the largest capacity of any stadium in the nation. It has a maximum seating capacity of almost 107,000, with every single seat less than 100 feet above ground in the unique bowl configuration. Currently, capacity has been slightly reduced in order to remove seats with poor sightlines and make the soccer field wider, but the capacity is still among America's largest, at around 93,000.
Located in Pasadena, California, about 10 miles northeast of Los Angeles, the Rose Bowl is a National Historic Landmark and one of the real treasures of American sports venues.