SPONSOR NOTE: Rose Bowl Package
It's been this long [UM Bentley Library]
I had a chance to go to the Rose Bowl the last time and figured eh, there'll be plenty of opportunities. Given the 12-team playoff starts next year, we're more likely to see it in a UCLA conference game than in the postseason. Anyway I'm not missing it this time. I'll be at the hotel; Brian will be down there too for the tailgate.
If you're looking to join us, we are partnering this year with OnLocation, which is the same company the team uses to book its travel, for a package deal and a bloc of tickets. No, the flight's not included, but shuttling from the hotel is.
Hotel (3 nights at the Courtyard Pasadena), a ticket to the Rose Bowl, a ticket to the parade, and an invite to their hospitality tent tailgate. [The hospitality tent sold out already!!!] These start at $2,100/person based on what ticket you choose and hotel room options.
These start $365 (for a ticket). And yes, a real physical ticket, not just a digital one.
Subject to availability. Details on the landing page: https://onlocationexp.com/college-sports/mgoblog
December 3rd, 2023 at 8:24 PM ^
Looks to be less expensive than the alumni association deal that was like $4,500
December 3rd, 2023 at 8:40 PM ^
Maybe the Alumni Association has a brunch included ;-)
December 3rd, 2023 at 10:03 PM ^
Actually I think some of the Alumni Association packages include the flight.
December 4th, 2023 at 2:24 AM ^
It also includes a curious carnival game called "petitti punch"...
December 3rd, 2023 at 8:30 PM ^
How's the view from that $365 dollar seat?
December 3rd, 2023 at 8:32 PM ^
eh, the rose bowl is not bad. it is fairly comparable to the big house, maybe not quite as good view-wise. the tunnels are tiny though.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:07 AM ^
so you're saying they're small enough to cause mischief and mayhem
December 4th, 2023 at 12:05 PM ^
Been to every M Rose Bowl game so far, but not this one. The field at the Rose Bowl has a track around it so the seating is farther back. So there are probably fewer rows with more seats per row. But otherwise the views are comparable to the Big House. One of the crazier RBs happened maybe 30 years or so ago when Coke was selling Slice and passing out foam seats. There was a flying seat war among fans! Took quite a few away with us.
If you're driving, you need to know that the Rose Bowl golf course surrounds the stadium so parking is ample. But the area is in a real bowl and surrounded by hills so traffic in and out is difficult, especially after the game. Some people park in nearby Pasadena lots and walk to the stadium, especially if the course is closed due to recent rain. Just like the lots near M Stadium.
You cannot beat the view at sunset there. Spectacular with the mountains. One of the wonders of the football world. As an M fan, you owe it to yourself to witness this at least once. I have been blessed.
December 4th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^
There is no track around the Rose Bowl field.
December 5th, 2023 at 2:16 PM ^
Been to every M Rose Bowl game so far . . .
Perhaps xgojim is confusing the 1948 game with the temporary cycling track at the Rose Bowl for the 1932 Olympics.
December 3rd, 2023 at 8:59 PM ^
They are just selling ticket master secondary and upcharging you 3 nights hotel. It's the same price as secondary
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:15 PM ^
Not exactly. They got discounted tix and hotel rooms, upcharge back to market price, and pay people like us to put a community in there instead of just having ticket resellers pocket the upcharge.
Plus we're talking to them about replacing the hospitality tent with an MGoBlog-specific thing for people who came through us.
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:34 PM ^
I'd buy tickets to an MGoBlog tailgate, because what you've built has value, but the full package upcharge price is too rich for my blood.
December 3rd, 2023 at 10:10 PM ^
Totally fair. These sponsorships are always weird for me. We used to do bowl packages with the alumni association that were $4k, and people would complain they're too expensive, and AAUM would be like "Why are we advertising; we sold out the first day." I've turned away a bunch of indie types because they've never seemed trustworthy enough even if the deal looked better. Hoping this time we've found a happy medium where we've got a partner who books for the team (and other teams) and has done this successfully, including with 11W last year, but isn't selling an entire charter flight with it.
December 4th, 2023 at 12:22 PM ^
Keep us posted on a tailgate Seth. Would love to bring the kid and meet all the bloggers and friends!
December 4th, 2023 at 1:00 PM ^
MGO tailgate should be well supported as a bunch of folks (including my 4x family) are organizing SoCal vacations separate from the AAUM. Tailgating options are quite limited - and very necessary - given the stadium’s location.
December 4th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
So they pocket the upcharge instead of some unknown entity.
Went to purchase just a ticket...A commemorative ticket is probably 10 cents to make. Cheapest ticket out there is $482 after a $73+ service fee. They're no different than any other site.
December 6th, 2023 at 7:08 PM ^
Seth, by any chance do you know when they will transfer the tickets? My purchase was confirmed but still haven't received a tickmaster transfer or an email saying when they will be sent. I tried calling twice, left a voice mail but haven't gotten a phonecall back.
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:06 PM ^
The Rose Bowl is a nice stadium. There is not really a bad seat there. My wife and I sat at the 2nd to last row in one of the endzones for the 2021 UCLA/Oregon game, and it felt like a perfectly good seat
December 3rd, 2023 at 10:33 PM ^
Be careful being too low at the Rose Bowl. Sight lines are poor in the rows near field level.
December 4th, 2023 at 5:59 PM ^
The Michigan side will be in the shade and it's typically cool/cold. The Bama sideline is in the sun at least for a few hours. Sunset will be before 5p - the average temp drops down to high 40's at night that time of year.
If you're not part of a package that includes transpo to the game, then get your parking pass here - for parking on on the golf course.
https://www.parkjockey.com/en-us/rose-bowl
December 5th, 2023 at 8:53 PM ^
Agreed we had low seats with MMB and really had a hard time seeing anything.
December 3rd, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
I wish I had thought of looking here before I booked hotel and tickets. However this is the hotel I booked so it will be exciting to see all of you! Can we do a meetup or 2 to put faces with user names?
December 3rd, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
I ordered tickets from this site Friday night. The hospitality passes will be mailed. The tickets will be delivered as digital tickets through ticketmaster fyi!
December 4th, 2023 at 10:47 AM ^
Have you gotten your Ticketmaster tickets yet? I’m going with some far flung friends and would need to transfer some of my tickets to them.
December 4th, 2023 at 6:02 PM ^
I ordered mine through the onlocationexp site onThursday afternoon. Haven't received them through Ticketmaster account yet, but I don't expect them until later this month is my guess.
December 4th, 2023 at 10:49 PM ^
December 3rd, 2023 at 8:56 PM ^
Psyched to see you guys at the tailgate!
Hotel too rich for my blood, booked a rental apartment near the metro in Little Tokyo.
I'd love to see the parade; so many flowers, so many marching bands, so many horses! Even with tickets, they tell you to get there 2 hours early!
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:03 PM ^
I was lucky enough to goto 3 Rose Bowls as a kid as my dad had an office out in LA..Ill never forget walking out of one and having literally no idea where we parked because there were no lights in the parking area (it was all grass then) and it took probably an hour to hour and half to find our car
Funny story...one of the games (I went to an OSU, MSU (Tony Banks??) and UM.ASU) was the MSU and was sitting in pretty good seats and a local sat next to me. Briefly chatted and he thought MSU was UM and when I said, no this is Michigan State, he said what is the difference and I said like 60 miles (was not old enough to be snarky) and he goes "oh"...he left at halftime and never came back
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:07 PM ^
I've been out there twice and found that flying into Burbank and staying at the hotel near the airport was way better than LAX or John Wayne in Orange county. Flights might be limited in and out of Burbank. Safe travels to all and Go Blue!!
December 4th, 2023 at 12:52 PM ^
The takeoff out of Burbank is quite an experience.
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:09 PM ^
Got my tix earlier this afternoon! Will be looking for my mgoblog bretheren!!!
December 4th, 2023 at 8:53 AM ^
I just smacked my phone screen lol
December 4th, 2023 at 12:28 PM ^
I hope he leaves his bedbugs and roaches at home.
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:21 PM ^
Anyone have experience staying in Downtown LA? I booked a hotel but after doing some research I'm not so sure about the area anymore.
Everything in Pasadena is a little costly...
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:42 PM ^
I hear Nakatomi Plaza is pretty reasonable this time of year.
December 4th, 2023 at 3:51 PM ^
The timing for this comment (Christmas holidays) is impeccable
come out to the coast, we’ll get together, have a few laughs
December 4th, 2023 at 6:05 PM ^
Now I have a machine gun....
Ho.......Ho.........Ho.......
December 3rd, 2023 at 9:47 PM ^
Pasadena prices are jacked! Almost reserved a reasonable place a block from the parade route and the metro exit about 10 days ago, but the two-star reviews made be give that up as too good to be true. Apartment in Little Tokyo, on the metro, a few blocks from downtown. Oriented myself to the map to be sure not to walk into Skid Row, and I think I'll be all right.
I'm sure the area will be crawling with law enforcement because there' s a huge free art festival New Years Eve. Probably the safest time ever to visit.
December 3rd, 2023 at 10:12 PM ^
The strip is reasonable if you want to be downtown, but I have to warn you: it's kind of a dump. If you're used to touring with a band it'll feel like luxury; if you're used to sleeping in Comfort Inns you're going to be disappointed.
December 4th, 2023 at 11:12 AM ^
How is Culver City? Would it be preferable to Downtown?
December 4th, 2023 at 1:39 PM ^
I'm in Culver City. It's a lovely suburb on the Westside. It is, however, "far" from the Rose Bowl in terms of "LA far." Probably an hour drive to Pasadena on a good day. Unsure how long it would be on Rose Bowl day.
You CAN take transit to the Rose Bowl area via the Expo Line, transferring to the Blue Line's Memorial Park. That's probably about an hour trip, so might be preferable to driving on the day of the game.
December 4th, 2023 at 2:00 PM ^
Thank you for that info. I was looking at google maps and it was showing 30 min from Culver to the Rose Bowl. But if it's closer to an hour we'll probably just stay downtown (unless we find something interesting in Pasadena). We'll be with our two boys and wanted to be where we could walk to place (like we do in NY).
Would def love to join the mgoblog tailgate if there is one.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:47 PM ^
You will habe many options east of Pasadena off the I210. I live in Arcadia and many hotels there and in Monrovia and Duarte. You can also try Airbnbs in any of those cities. All are close to the Gold Line train a few stops into Old Town Pasadena and take the shuttle to the game. You can even take the Gold Line early to catch the Parade if you want and on other days take the Gold Line into DTLA and beyond (Santa Monica even Long Beach via connecting train lines.
December 4th, 2023 at 12:24 PM ^
DTLA is totally solid. Not like a "regular" center city kind of vibe (for better/worse). Lots of hotel options particularly closer to the stadiums/convention center part. Koreatown is cool as well and close to DTLA also.
December 4th, 2023 at 9:29 PM ^
Try hotels in Arcadia, Monrovia or Duarte then take the Gold Line train to Old Town Pasadena and the shuttle down to the Rosebowl. Plenty of hotels in each of those cities off the I210.
December 4th, 2023 at 3:09 AM ^
Sounds like fun but I'll be stuck in the middle of 7 grave yard shifts. I wish this was 2028, I'd be retired 12/30 that year and would go for sure!
December 4th, 2023 at 9:42 AM ^
I was already booked through onlocation prior to this package being up (through the rose bowl website).
look forward to seeing you at the courtyard, the game and in the hospitality tent!
December 4th, 2023 at 11:26 AM ^
Seth---Do you and Brian need an on-location moderator for all the MGoBlog-related activities in Pasadena? I'd like to volunteer for those duties 😉.
December 4th, 2023 at 12:26 PM ^
Im in for all the meet ups Rob!