With AEG and L.A. moving to bring the NFL back to the city, the Univ. of Southern California "could block efforts to have the new team play at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the three to four years that a proposed football stadium would be under construction downtown," according to Pringle & Zahinser of the L.A. TIMES. The Coliseum is "home to USC football and the school's lease gives the Trojans veto power over the NFL returning to the stadium." L.A. City Council member Bernard Parks, whose district includes the Coliseum, indicated that a USC administrator "told him that the school intends to exercise the veto unless it receives a new 'master lease' that would give the private university near-total control of the publicly owned stadium." USC Senior VP/University Relations Thomas Sayles in an e-mail said the school is "open to discussions on a mutually beneficial arrangement" regarding an NFL team. But he added, "For some time we have believed that having a master lease is in the best long-term interests of the community and the university." Pringle & Zahinser note if the Coliseum is "ruled out, a new NFL team would most likely take up temporary residence at the Rose Bowl." Rose Bowl CEO & GM Darryl Dunn said that AEG has met with Pasadena, and the city is "very interested." Parks said that AEG President & CEO Tim Leiweke has indicated that his development firm "would prefer the Coliseum, if only because it is just down Figueroa Street from Staples Center and L.A. Live, which could cater to pre- and post-game crowds." Leiweke earlier this week said that AEG "was committed to trying to use the Coliseum." But he emphasized that the "aging stadium needs improvements that could be costly and give an advantage to the Rose Bowl," which is undergoing a $152M renovation (L.A. TIMES, 8/12).
ROSE CEREMONY: In California, Brenda Gazzar reports Rose Bowl officials "approved tailgating guidelines Thursday for all major events" at the stadium. Rose Bowl CEO & GM Darryl Dunn said that while the company "already had a general Fan Code of Conduct it created with UCLA about four years ago, 'we have not had specific tailgating guidelines before.'" The policy mandates that "alcohol consumption will now be prohibited in all tailgating areas" after kickoff. In addition, "general parking lots will open to the public" six hours -- instead of eight -- prior to kickoff (PASADENA STAR NEWS, 8/12).
