Cal Football: New LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium Joins Pac-12 Lineup Beginning in 2020

Game at Inglewood will match the No. 5 Pac-12 vs. the No. 1 from Mountain West

The Pac-12 Conference has entered into a six-year agreement with a new football bowl game, LA Bowl, to begin next December at the new SoFi Stadium, home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers.

The arrangement, set to run through 2025, will match the No. 5 selection from the Pac-12 against the No. 1 team from the Mountain West Conference.

A specific date for the 2020 game has not been determined.

“We are thrilled to partner with LA Bowl and bring a Pac-12 presence to the new state-of-the-art facility at SoFi Stadium, in one of the biggest markets right in our footprint,” said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. “The entertainment presence of the new facility will provide great experiences for our student-athletes and fans as the Pac-12 continues its postseason matchup with the Mountain West.”

The Mountain West champion last fall was Boise State, which fashioned 12-1 record before losing 38-7 to Washington in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Jason Gannon, managing director for SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park, said organizers intend to deliver “an authentic Southern California experience” with the game.

The news release also promises a game-day experience that “focuses on premium hospitality and highlights the diverse community of Los Angeles.”

SoFi Stadium, expected to open in July, is a 70,240-seat facility build on the site of the old Hollywood Park Racetrack in Inglewood, about three miles from LAX. The stadium is expandable to 100,240 for events such as the Super Bowl, World Cup or Olympics. Cost of constructive: a staggering $4.963 billion.

Cal played this past season in the Redbox Bowl at Santa Clara against Illinois of the Big Ten Conference. In 2018, the Bears faced TCU of the Big 12 in the Cheez-It Bowl.

A Pac-12 spokesperson said the conference still is working out its complete 2020 bowl lineup. But he said this much is confirmed: after the Rose Bowl, the selection order will be Alamo, Las Vegas, Holiday, Sun and LA Bowl. No word on what that means to the Redbox Bowl.