UCLA Should Look to Host Notre Dame at SoFi Stadium

UCLA's proximity to SoFi Stadium along with the brand power of the Fighting Irish could set up massive payday for both sides.

Dec 16, 2023; Inglewood, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Ethan Garbers (4) reacts after defeating the Boise State Broncos in the Starco Brands LA Bowl at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images / Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

UCLA sits about 20 minutes away from the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. SoFi Stadium, one of the great cathedrals of football has been a hub for various college football events since its opening in 2020.

Having been the home of the LA Bowl, SoFi Stadium has also hosted the 2023 National Championship game and will continue to host collegiate events into the future. A great way to put UCLA in a primetime slot on national TV is to schedule a week zero matchup with Notre Dame.

The Fighting Irish play at least one game per season at a neutral site location and considering the Irish already come out to Los Angeles every other year to play USC, logistics will not be a problem for them.

It would also be a great opportunity for them to get in touch with their alumni fan base out west. Notre Dame tries to come out to the West Coast as much as possible with their annual rivalry with the Trojans and they recently played BYU in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium.

For UCLA, it would be a fantastic opportunity to display its Los Angeles pride in the heart of one of its top recruiting grounds. A financial opportunity as well, Notre Dame's fanbase would pack the stadium, giving UCLA a bigger total amount for its participation. The Bruins could also reserve a portion of their seats for local high school teams in order to build stronger relationships with their programs.

As magical as the Rose Bowl is, UCLA fails to pack the house during the early months of the season due to the heat. SoFi would take care of weather problems, potentially leading to a large attendance from the student body due to the game's proximity to campus, the carefree attitudes associated with the beginning of the semester and the opportunity to enter an NFL stadium for free.

The optics would be the big payoff. While it is cool to say to recruits that they could play in an NFL stadium, it would be cooler to show them footage of the Bruins knocking off the beloved Irish. Big time programs have big time wins and it's been a while since UCLA had a program elevating win. The opportunity to have DeShaun Foster, a native Angelino, lead his alma mater to victory over the historic Fighting Irish within the walls of the best football venue in the west has headlines written all over it.

That could lead to more financial support, especially in terms of NIL, more local kids wanting to stay home and UCLA scheduling even more big-time non-conference games at SoFi. In the modern market, creative solutions are needed to solve evolving problems.

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