Tournament Park

{{Infobox park

| name = Tournament Park

| alt_name =

| photo = Pasadena Tournament of Roses chariot race, 1911 (CHS-309).jpg

| photo_width =

| photo_alt = Tournament of Roses chariot race, 1911

| photo_caption = Tournament of Roses chariot race, 1911

| type =

| location = Pasadena, California

| coords = {{Coord|34.133|-118.126|type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

| area =

| created =

| operator =

| visitation_num =

| status = Always open

| website =

| map = USA#California

| map_width =

| map_alt =

| map_caption = Location in the United States##Location in California

| map_label = Pasadena

| relief = yes

| elevation = {{convert|750|ft|round=5}} AMSL

}}

Tournament Park is a park and athletics venue in Pasadena, California, United States, northeast of Los Angeles. Currently maintained by the California Institute of Technology, it was simply known as the "town lot" before being renamed "Tournament Park" {{nowrap|in 1900.{{Cite web |title=Tournament of Roses History |url=http://www.tournamentofroses.com/history/ |accessdate=2007-01-01}}}} Tournament Park gets its name from the Tournament of Roses, and it served as a venue in the early 20th century for events associated with the Tournament, such as chariot races, ostrich races, and even a race between a camel and an elephant.{{Cite web |last=Dan O'Sullivan |title=1902 - Michigan 49, Stanford 0 |url=http://espn.go.com/abcsports/bcs/rose/s/1902.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20021210043111/http://espn.go.com/abcsports/bcs/rose/s/1902.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 10, 2002 |website=ESPN |publisher=BCSFootball.com}}{{Cite news |date=January 2, 1913 |title=At Tournament Park: Hairs' Widths Avert a Row of Tragedies |work=Los Angeles Times |id={{ProQuest|159824493}}}} Besides hosting Tournament of Roses events, the venue hosted other events at the turn of the 20th century, such as the Southern California Horse Show Association's annual horse show.{{Cite news |date= 1907-03-08 |title=With Splendid Showing and in Blaze of Beauty, Pasadena's Horse Show Opens in Idyllic Scene. |id={{ProQuest|159071135}} |newspaper=Los Angeles Times}} Tournament Park is best known as the site of the first eight Rose Bowl Games {{nowrap|(1902, 1916–1922).}}

Background

Its seating capacity in 1922 was 43,000, many of which were in temporary wooden bleachers that the city deemed unsafe, thus necessitating the construction of the Rose Bowl stadium,{{Cite web |title=Early Views of Pasadena |url=http://waterandpower.org/museum/Early_Views_of_Pasadena_(Page_3).html |publisher=Pasadena Department of Water and Power}} about {{convert|2|mi|0|spell=in}} northwest. Tournament Park hosted a handful of USC football games, chiefly against out-of-state opponents, in the 1910s and 1920s prior to the construction of Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, since the park dwarfed USC's then on-campus venue of Bovard Field.{{Cite web |title=USC Football History |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/usc/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/05-mg-sec5.pdf}}

Following the departure of the New Year's Day game to the new stadium in 1923, the facility's capacity was reduced substantially, though the parade route ended at Tournament Park for a number of years following the Rose Bowl's completion. Tournament Park, along with the Rose Bowl, served as the venue for Caltech's football team until the school dropped the program.{{Cite web |last=Pickard |first=Joe |date=2016-12-31 |title=Why The Rose Parade Is 'Never On A Sunday' And More Interesting Facts |url=https://onwardstate.com/2016/12/31/why-the-rose-parade-is-never-on-a-sunday-and-more-interesting-facts/ |access-date=2023-09-26 |website=Onward State |language=en-US}}

The stadium site, now known as South Athletic Field, is bounded by the Fox-Stanton Track (named after former Caltech football coach Fox Stanton), and continues to serve as Caltech's track and field venue. The surrounding park, which continues under the Tournament Park moniker, contains a playground and picnic facility.{{Cite web |title=Tournament Park |url=http://www.facilitiesmanagement.caltech.edu/tournament_park |publisher=California Institute of Technology, Facilities Management Department}}

The elevation of the park is approximately {{convert|750|ft|round=5}} above sea level.