Most important venue in America?

In a move likely to generate more debate than not putting the Trojans as No. 1 on an AP ballot, an ESPN columnist tried to rank the 100 most important sports venues in America. Yankee Stadium led the way. Among the local ones on his list:

9. The Rose Bowl
12. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
39. Gold's Gym
40. Dodger Stadium
44. Pauley Pavilion
64. Los Angeles Forum
73. Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
85. Kerlan-Jobe Orthopedic Clinic
98. Staples Center

I've gotta' give it up for Jim Caple's ingenuity on some of the selections on his 100, but what do you think about the local options? Remember it's a question of importance, not the best place to watch a game and find cheap hot dogs ...

—Adam Rose

UCLA-Arizona tickets for only $10

Travel Zoo claims this is the cheapest general admission ticket that's been available in a decade. For $10, how could you go wrong? OK, there's actually a $4.25 per ticket convenience fee if you order online. I've never understood what's so convenient about that. If you pick them up at the box office, the $10 per ticket price holds, but you'll pay an extra $10 for the entire order.

Simple math: If you want only a single or pair, order online. If you want more and are near the ticket office, pick 'em up. If you're not near the ticket office, factor in gas.

Either way, it's a very cheap ticket.

—Adam Rose

Photo: Al Seib / Los Angeles Times

What to do before kickoff

The "Sports Illustrated Evolution of the Game Tour Presented by Nissan" will make its first stop of the 2008 season in the UCLA Fan Zone south of the Rose Bowl from 1 to 5 p.m. Monday, Sept. 1. Signing autographs at the 35-foot domed site will be former UCLA great and 1967 Heisman Trophy winner Gary Beban (1-2 p.m.), former Bruin quarterback David Norrie (2:30-4 p.m.) and SI senior writer Dan Patrick (3-4 p.m.).

Fans also can get their picture on a cover of Sports Illustrated with the Heisman Trophy, get a look at the 2009 Nissan Maxima, test their skills and win prizes with interactive football challenges, take a trip into college football history inside the SI Vault Museum and pick up a complimentary "Game Breakers" collector’s edition of Sports Illustrated.

NASCAR will have an interactive video game display in the Fan Zone, and NASCAR driver Sterling Marlin will be on hand to sign autographs.

—News release from UCLA Sports Information Department

Image of the Rose Bowl from a graphic by Joel Greenberg

NFL to join UCLA in Rose Bowl?

The NFL could return to Los Angeles in 2009 — and the team might take up temporary residence in the Rose Bowl.

At a cocktail reception Wednesday night in Century City, a group of local business leaders was treated to an encore of the Los Angeles Stadium presentation that recently was given to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell.

The project is spearheaded by Majestic Reality, run by developer Ed Roski (who also has a minority stake in the Lakers and Kings and is chairman of the USC Board of Trustees). Plans were originally announced in April, but Wednesday's event demonstrated continued conviction and a better sense of the project's time line.

Flying through the Pac-10

We've been a little slow with videos this last week, so here's a flying tour of all the stadiums in the Pac-10 (h/t Da Wiz).

Hot links and other news items will be up later today (had some computer issues earlier).