Arsenal owner Kroenke Sports & Entertainment are being sued over UCLA’s attempt to swap the Rose Bowl for SoFi Stadium, according to a report.
NBC Sports report that with UCLA’s American football team allegedly trying to ditch the Rose Bowl for the SoFi Stadium, Kroenke Sports & Entertainment have been added to a lawsuit aimed at forcing the UCLA Bruins to stay where they are.
Arsenal owner KSE, headed up by Stan Kroenke, also own the SoFi Stadium. Hence why they’re involved.
Per the report, UCLA have a contract running through to 2044 to remain at the Rose Bowl, and if the Kroenkes knew about that lease agreement, they had a legal duty to refrain from trying to lure UCLA to violate it.
If it can be proven that the Kroenkes attempted to get UCLA to break the deal, they could be required to pay compensation as well as facing punitive damages.
The civil complaint alleges that the Kroenke defendants did know about the agreement, “yet coordinated with UCLA to breach its contractual obligations and abandon the Rose Bowl stadium in favor of playing its home football games at SoFi Stadium”. It also argues the Kroenke’s acted with “malice”.
For the Rose Bowl plaintiffs, it’s pretty much a win-win. Either UCLA will be forced to stay and honour their contract, or they’ll receive a significant payout from the lawsuit.
Though that’s assuming the terms of the contract don’t allow for such a move, which will have to be proven in court.
Arsenal aren’t directly involved in the case in any way, but obviously any significant financial hit for club owners KSE could have an indirect effect on how much the Kroenkes are willing to invest in the Gunners in the coming years.