The Riverside Press-Enterprise
AROUND THE STADIUM
A statue of Bump Elliott, right, outside the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. Elliott was inducted in the inaugural class and played in the Rose Bowl in 1948. He was an assistant coach for Iowa (1957) head coach of Michigan (1965), associate athletics director at Michigan (1970) and athletics director at Iowa. The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame was established in 1989 to honor members of the Rose Bowl Game who have contributed to the history and excitement of the event and those who embody the best of the passion, strength, tradition and honor associated with “The Granddaddy of Them All.” It has more than 100 inductees
Jackie Robinson statue Jackie Robinson, who grew up in Pasadena will forever be remembered for breaking the Major League Baseball color barrier in 1947. As a UCLA Bruin, Robinson played quarterback and safety in 1937 and '38. His 104-yard kickoff return in 1938 is reportedly the longest in Rose Bowl Stadium history. According to officials, it's the only statue in the world that depicts Robinson in a football uniform.
2022 Ranking
Roadtocfb.com's 2022 ranking of the top 104 college football stadiums put the Rose Bowl at No. 9. The rankings are entirely subjective with the following factors in consideration:
Overall venue; location; cleanliness/upkeep; amenities, renovations; uniqueness
1. Tiger Stadium, LSU
2. Ohio Stadium Ohio State
3. Michigan Stadium, Michigan
4. Memorial Stadium, Clemson
5. Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, Oklahoma
6. Kyle Field, Texas A&M
7. Dkr-texas Memorial Stadium, Texas
8. Neyland Stadium, Tennessee
9. Rose Bowl Stadium, UCLA
“No place in the U.S. holds its water with iconography that the Rose Bowl does. It's the only bowl game to not have a sponsor in the name, just to page homage to this legendary stadium. The backdrop of Southern California, its location in Los Angeles, the history and statues outside of the stadium, and the most photographed stadium in the world possibly make this one impossible to ignore.” In 2007, Sports Illustrated named the Rose Bowl the No. 1 venue in college sports.