Pasadena Now: Rose Bowl Lands $1 Million federal Earmark to Replace Near-Century-Old Infrastructure Before Olympics

The Rose Bowl Stadium will get $1,092,000 in federal funding to replace water and wastewater pipes that are approaching 100 years old and have shown erosion and daily safety risks, U.S. Rep. Laura Friedman announced Thursday at the Pasadena venue.

The money, secured by Friedman as a federal earmark signed into law in January, will upgrade the city-owned stadium’s aging infrastructure ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, when the Rose Bowl will host soccer semifinals and gold medal matches before a global television audience.

It will be the third time the 103-year-old National Historic Landmark has served as an Olympic venue — following track cycling in 1932 and soccer in 1984.

The stadium’s pipes carry drinking water and handle wastewater for more than 1 million visitors a year. According to a project description Friedman filed with the House Appropriations Committee, the systems have “shown erosion and presented overall safety concerns on a daily basis,” including risks to drinking water quality, wastewater backups, and drainage failures.

“We cannot welcome the world to a stadium running on nearly 100-year-old pipes that could fail,” Friedman said at the press conference. “This investment ensures America’s Stadium is ready for its moment on the world stage while reducing the burden on local taxpayers.”

Friedman had originally requested $3.5 million for the project from the House Appropriations Committee. The final allocation of $1,092,000 came through the Interior and Environment subcommittee and was included in H.R. 6938, a three-bill appropriations package that passed the House 397-28 and was signed by President Trump on Jan. 23, according to Friedman’s office and the House Appropriations Committee.

The earmark is part of more than $40 million in Congressionally Directed Spending that Sen. Adam Schiff’s office said was delivered for Southern California in the fiscal year 2026 budget.

The Rose Bowl also received $3 million in state funding for gas and water infrastructure improvements that the Pasadena City Council accepted in April 2024.

L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger called the funding “this critical federal investment” in a statement released after the announcement.

“The Rose Bowl is one of our region’s most vital economic engines,” Barger said in the statement. “It welcomes more than one million visitors a year, supports thousands of jobs, and showcases Los Angeles County on the global stage.”

Barger added that at a time when local budgets are stretched thin, “every federal dollar secured is a dollar that doesn’t need to be diverted from essential community priorities like public safety, roads, and parks,” according to the statement.

Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo called the Rose Bowl “the very heart and soul of the City of Pasadena and our region,” according to CBS News.

The Rose Bowl is owned by the City of Pasadena and operated by the Rose Bowl Operating Company, a nonprofit public benefit corporation. The stadium has hosted five Super Bowls, the 1994 Men’s World Cup, and the 1999 Women’s World Cup.

Rose Bowl CEO Jens Weiden said the stadium continues to invest in its infrastructure. “We’re consistently and constantly investing capital into this building to make sure it meets the needs of people and attendees that come here,” Weiden said, according to CBS News Los Angeles.

Friedman was joined at the announcement by Gordo, Weiden, Brozino, and Pasadena Deputy Fire Chief Tim Sell. Friedman’s press release noted that the Rose Bowl served as a critical staging area for residents and first responders during the Eaton Fire.

Schiff said in a statement included in Friedman’s press release that the funding “will be crucial to replace its water infrastructure ahead of the 2028 Olympics.”

Dedan Brozino, president of the Rose Bowl Legacy Foundation, the nonprofit that supports the stadium’s preservation and enhancement, said the venue faces roughly $200 million in capital needs over the next 20 years.

No construction contractor or start date has been announced for the project.