A federal judge has locked UCLA baseball out of its stadium and practice field starting at noon Thursday.
No, the judge isn’t a USC fan trying to spite the baseball program (he actually holds two degrees from UCLA). The case centers around the Veterans Affairs, which leases portions of land to several entities, including an oil drilling company, a local private school, parking lots, and UCLA.
On Wednesday night, judge David Carter ordered that the baseball complex including Jackie Robinson Stadium be cordoned off until further notice. To open them back up, the school needs to present a plan for the land that makes serving veterans the “predominant focus” of the 10 acres, Carter said.
An attorney for the university had proposed a plan to increase services to veterans before the court, but Carter found it “inadequate.” He similarly disapproved of proposals from the Brentwood School, which also uses the land for athletic facilities, and the oil company. Carter threatened to have the school’s swimming pool “filled with sand” if it can’t come up with an alternative (the school currently allows veterans certain access to its athletic facilities in the mornings).
Carter ruled earlier this month in a class action lawsuit brought by a group of homeless veterans with disabilities that the VA had illegally leased its land to the private entities, and ordered the leases terminated (he first offered Wednesday’s hearing as an exit strategy for the schools). He also ruled that the VA needs to build 750 units of temporary housing in the next 18 months and make a plan in the next six months to add another 1,800 permanent units on top of the 1,200 already promised.
Carter is a Marine veteran who served in Vietnam, and has spent his tenure on the bench advocating for homeless populations.
UCLA and its athletic department said in a joint statement that they are “disappointed with the ruling but are complying.”
“UCLA Athletics is actively working to adjust operations and training, as this means our students are no longer able to access Jackie Robinson Stadium,” the statement read. “We hope for a swift legal resolution that lets our student-athletes return to the facility. It’s deeply important to be clear on this point: UCLA supports veterans.” UCLA noted that it has leased land from the VA since 1963.
The statement concluded with highlighting the university’s programs for veterans, including a legal clinic and courses to aid with job searching.
The ballpark opened in 1981, named after Robinson, the former UCLA four-sport athlete who went on to break MLB’s color barrier. The team has made five trips to the Men’s College World Series, and won the tournament in 2013.
