A group that reportedly owns the trademark rights to the Rose Bowl college football game is claiming that Pasadena is trying to publicly rewrite contract agreements to position the city as the owner of the marks.

The complaint alleges that the dispute has arisen as a result of constraints caused by COVID-19 and emergency response plans. This year, the College Football Playoff Committee (CFP) relocated the Rose Bowl game to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, as a result of surging coronavirus cases in the Los Angeles area and California's restrictions on public gatherings.