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Game on: Garfield and Roosevelt’s new fields ready for action
Roosevelt and Garfield students clash during the 2022 East L.A. Classic.
(
Kate Valdez
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Boyle Heights Beat
)
This story was originally published by Boyle Heights Beat on July 11, 2025.
Just in time for high school football season, new football fields will be unveiled at Garfield and Roosevelt high schools’ campuses later this summer.
After closing their football fields last season, both schools are scheduled to reopen and host their first homes on Aug. 28.
A new football field at Roosevelt High School is set to open on August 28, 2025.
(
Andrew Lopez
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Boyle Heights Beat
)
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At Boyle Heights’ Roosevelt High, football fans can enjoy home games from new metal bleachers, will have access to new field entrances, ticket booths and restrooms, and will benefit from ADA accessibility upgrades.
A new scoreboard and improved field lighting are also among the improvements at the century-old school. The field itself will feature a new natural grass surface and be surrounded by a new synthetic running track.
Hungry during halftime? A new concession stand will be able to meet that need with snacks and drinks.
At Garfield High School in East L.A., a new synthetic football field and surrounding track will soon be available to students and athletes alike. A new digital scoreboard will help fans tally up the touchdowns alongside new landscaping and ADA accessibility upgrades.
The field at Garfield will also be upgraded with a new booster pump for its irrigation system, intended to help keep the field cool. New bleachers are also coming to the visiting team side of the field.
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According to a Los Angeles Unified School District spokesperson, the field refurbishments are funded primarily by Measure RR, a school bond measure approved by voters in 2020, to upgrade and reconfigure Los Angeles public schools to better support learning, athletics, wellness and health.
The crosstown rivalry between Garfield and Roosevelt hits its peak every year in October, when both schools battle it out in the East L.A. Classic, a traditional faceoff that’s been going for nearly 90 years strong. While the venue of the 2025 Classic hasn’t been finalized, an LAUSD spokesperson said there are no plans to hold the game on either of the new fields.
Because neither schools’ field has the seating capacity to hold all the fans and families who turn out to watch the Classic, the yearly bout is usually held at East L.A. College in neighboring Monterey Park. The Classic was staged at the L.A. Coliseum in 2022 and at SoFi stadium in 2024, a matchup that drew upwards of 15,000 football fans.
Garfield High School will also be revitalizing several buildings on its campus in the coming years thanks to a $160m upgrade, also supported by Measure RR funds, that will give students and staff a new gym, upgraded classrooms and a renovated library.
On the evening of Aug. 28, the Rough Riders will face off against the Lawndale Cardinals in Boyle Heights while Garfield’s Bulldogs will go toe-to-toe with the Bakersfield Drillers in East L.A.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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