The East L.A. classic between Roosevelt and Garfield high schools will be held at SoFi Stadium this year, the schools announced on social media Thursday.
The 89th game, touted as one of the biggest rivalries in youth sports, will take place on Friday, Oct. 25, Boyle Heights Beat confirmed with school officials. It will be the first time the game is held at the venue.
Last year, the game was played at East L.A. College where the game is most frequently hosted. Here, family, friends, and alumni fill the stands flaunting their gold or blue. In 2022, the match was held at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and featured the Black Eyed Peas in a special halftime show. The big game drew more than 20,000 fans.
The Eastside rivalry dates back to the establishment of Garfield High in 1925, just three years shy of Roosevelt’s establishment. The game has been played every year except for a period between the Great Depression, World War Ⅱ, and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The winner of the game takes home a tall and mighty trophy, but the most prideful prize? Bragging rights for who owns the Eastside.
For Roosevelt senior and defensive end football player Lukas Ramirez, it’ll be his first time participating in the East L.A. Classic.
“It’s a big moment for me, it’s a lot to take in but we’re all going to make the best of it,” he said. “For it to be my first Classic, it’s definitely nerve-racking. I get nervous thinking about it and talking about it but I think my boys and I will be ready.”
Until recent years, Garfield has kept up a 10-game winning streak that ended when Roosevelt won the title back in 2021. Last year, Garfield took home the victory, beating Roosevelt with a score of 49-16.
“I am looking forward to seeing East Los Angeles under one roof, battling for bragging rights,” James A. Garfield High School Principal Regina Martinez Marquez said.
Both schools’ girls flag football teams will compete at 6 p.m. before the East L.A. Classic kick-off at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets for the game will go on sale on Monday, Sept. 9 at 10 a.m. via Ticketmaster.
