Football is Back at the Rose Bowl Stadium

In the words of legendary broadcaster, Keith Jackson, "We’re gonna play football... yippee!"

Football is back and we couldn’t be more excited at the Rose Bowl Stadium. The venue’s foundational roots reside because of the gridiron and so many greats that have dug their cleats into our famous turf. We can’t wait to welcome new memories for the players, coaches, fans, and viewers over the next several months.

Futbol First: Team Mexico vs. Team New Zealand

But first... futbol. The Rose Bowl Stadium will host Team Mexico versus Team New Zealand this upcoming Saturday, September 7th. With the soccer world’s eyes on North America ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, five cities across the United States have been selected to host the biggest Mexican Men’s National Team U.S. Tour in the 21-year history of the annual event known as the “MexTour.”

Purchase tickets here

College Football: UCLA's Big Ten Debut

Back to college football... UCLA, the Stadium’s home team, is idle this week after a nice season-opening, long-distance road win on the Hawaiian Islands last week. The Bruins now prepare for their Big Ten Conference debut on national television against the Indiana Hoosiers on September 14th (4:30 pm kickoff at the Rose Bowl). It’s the first time ever that UCLA and Indiana have played each other in football – again, history to be made!

With the B1G fan bases coming to Pasadena, don’t wait to purchase your tickets. Email Meaghan in our Premium Seating department at mgonzales@rosebowlstadium.com for more information on hosting your office, clients, family, or friends in the best premium environment in the Los Angeles region.

Legacy Foundation's Road Trips

As football gears up here in Pasadena, it’s already in full-swing with early season games across the country underway. Thus, the Legacy Foundation team has already been on the road visiting some of its almost 5,000 donors. These trips not only allow us to cultivate, steward, and better discover current and future donors, but they also allow us to connect with fellow members of the Congressional Historic Stadium Caucus, strengthen relationships with administrations, and learn and share about historic stadium capital improvement projects. They’re valuable to the future positioning of the Rose Bowl Stadium here in Pasadena.

Columbus, Ohio

Dedan visited Columbus, Ohio for the celebrations surrounding the 50th anniversary of Archie Griffin’s FIRST Heisman Trophy (he’s the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner). The festivities were incredible for Archie, who is also a major Legacy donor. Not only did he “dot the i” in Script Ohio during halftime of the OSU victory last Saturday, but he also welcomed the team to Skull Session and celebrated with the crowd during “Hang on Sloopy.” Traditions in college sports around the country are off the charts - it’s why we love football season.

Dedan was welcomed to speak during the dedication of the Archie Griffin Statue at Ohio Stadium last week, joining Coach Ryan Day, Athletic Director Ross Bjork, and University President Ted Carter.

The penultimate moment of the time in Columbus was the dedication of the first statue in the 102+ year history of Ohio Stadium. Donated by the donors to the Legacy Foundation, a replica copy of the Rose Bowl’s Archie Griffin statue was unveiled at The Horseshoe on August 30th, thus tying the two iconic stadiums together in celebration of the Rose Bowl Game’s All-Century Player. Dedan spoke during the dedication ceremony along with Buckeyes Head Coach Ryan Day, OSU President Ted Carter, and Athletic Director Ross Bjork. Many of the statue’s donors were in attendance to join in the reveal and the statue was crowded with families and children for photos on game day at OSU’s famed venue.

Las Vegas, Nevada

USC’s and LSU’s fan bases collided for a neutral site, electric opener in Las Vegas that might’ve been the opening weekend’s best game. Brian attended in support of some key supporters that have generously contributed to the Rose Bowl’s preservation, protection, and enhancement through various types of giving. Even though we have been UCLA’s home stadium since 1982, the USC history is also rich in Pasadena due to its connection from competing on New Year’s Day on many occasions.

Staff Appreciation

Lastly, before I sign off on this month’s message, I wanted to greatly thank Kelli Gill, Legacy’s Director of Advancement and Stewardship, for her service to the organization. Kelli’s final day with Legacy was on August 23rd as she has moved on to lead the fundraising efforts with a local Pasadena women’s health nonprofit. We wish her the best as she will undoubtedly have great success. Her impact on the Legacy Foundation and its donor family will be positively felt well into the future. Thank you, Kelli!

As our Rose Bowl Stadium and Legacy Foundation family enjoys football season together over the next few months, we wish you and yours the best as you surround yourself with memorable moments together as the Summer weather turns to Fall (hopefully soon – stay cool in this heat!). College football brings so many people together across multiple generations, just as the Rose Bowl Stadium has for over a century.

With gratitude on behalf of the Legacy Staff and Stadium Family,

Dedan Brozino
Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, President
dbrozino@rosebowlstadium.com

Other Notes:

• Rose Bowl Institute’s Women’s Empowerment Fall Symposium - virtual from October 1-3. Register for FREE here and spread the word. As always, you can learn about the Rose Bowl Institute and its FREE programs for youth at any time, as well as view archived programs, by visiting www.RoseBowlInstitute.org.
• CA High School Football Hall of Fame - release of the Hall’s second-ever class will come on September 10th.
• Terry Donahue Memorial California Showcase - a February FREE event in Irvine for high school graduating seniors with over 50 coaches and universities from D-2, D-3, NAIA, and Community College ranks that has awarded over $40 million in financial aid and scholarships. Sign up early here or visit www.cashowcase.org.

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