Pasadena High Drops Varsity Football This Season
The district says the school will finish the season as a junior varsity team after a winless start and an offseason exodus of players.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Football
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Pasadena High will no longer field a varsity football team this season, and the annual Turkey Tussle will not take place as planned. The Pasadena Unified School District announced the change on September 11, when Pasadena High was 0-3 and had forfeited a scheduled game at Monrovia.
Why it matters
Ten potential starters transferred to schools outside the district during the offseason, leaving the program short of players. The change leaves John Muir Early College Magnet High School as the district's only high school with a varsity football team.
Pasadena High started 0-3 and was outscored 133-14 before forfeiting its September 11 game at Monrovia. Turkey Tussle sales typically bring in an estimated $15,000 to $25,000 per school, and Muir beat Pasadena High 28-20 in the 2025 game.
The players
Pasadena Unified School District
The district oversees Pasadena High and John Muir Early College Magnet High School and made the decision to end the varsity season.
The details
The district reviewed three games and listened to coaches' concerns before deciding the season would finish at the junior varsity level. On October 29, the schools played a junior varsity Chicken Tussle, which Muir won 19-6.
Timeline
1947: The Turkey Tussle began as a Thanksgiving Day game.
2024: Pasadena High won the CIF Southern Section Division 13 title.
September 11, 2026: The district announced the junior varsity season and the Monrovia game was forfeited.
September 15, 2026: The superintendent said the district was working on a year-end game.
October 29, 2026: The junior varsity Chicken Tussle was played, and Muir won 19-6.
Season Trajectory
The decision breaks the long run of the Turkey Tussle rivalry, which began in 1947 and has been a fixture of Thanksgiving in Pasadena. It also reshapes the district's competitive football landscape, leaving Muir as the lone varsity program.
Fans of the Turkey Tussle will not see the rivalry game this Thanksgiving, and players who remain at Pasadena High will compete only at the junior varsity level. Families should watch district announcements for the replacement year-end game details.
The takeaway
Community rivalries depend on enough players to field teams, and the offseason exodus shows how quickly a program can lose its footing. Local supporters can watch district announcements for the year-end game plans.
What happens next
The district is working to create a year-end game that celebrates the annual homecoming, though no date has been set.
Further reading
Explore more Pasadena football coverage for context on the local high school programs.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Pasadena Now.
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