Mayor Riordan Gives ‘Football LA’ a Big Task : Franchise: New group, headed by Rosen and Soboroff, will try to recruit an NFL team.

Add one more group to those trying to return professional football to Los Angeles.

Mayor Richard Riordan announced at a news conference Tuesday the formation of Football LA, a broad-based task force created to bring an NFL team to Los Angeles.

Tossing a football and wearing a blue hat inscribed with “Football LA,” Riordan outlined the group’s intention but was not specific on how it would go about achieving its goal.

“Football LA’s goal is to help recruit an NFL franchise for Los Angeles,” Riordan said. “Their game plan is to have a long-lasting relationship between the fans, neighborhoods, businesses and the new team--and a new team that will wear the name of Los Angeles with pride.”

Fred Rosen, president and chief executive officer of Ticketmaster Corp., was named chairman, and Steve Soboroff, president of the commercial real estate firm Soboroff Partners, was named vice chairman. Riordan, City Council President John Ferraro and County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke are ex officio members.

“We are going to show prospective teams and owners all the options available to them in the greater Los Angeles area,” Rosen said.

The group’s 20 to 25 other members will be named in the near future.

Football LA’s task does not include enticing prospective franchises with money, according to Riordan, who said he had no intention of using city funds to help persuade teams to move here.

The group does not have the power to close a deal, but can help Los Angeles’ effort in two ways:

--It can identify teams willing to relocate or investors interested in an expansion team and make them aware of the possibilities in Los Angeles.

--It can act as liaison during talks between the league and interested parties.

Rosen said he will meet with NFL officials in the next few weeks but has not discussed relocation or expansion with the league.

In selecting Rosen to head the commission, Riordan cited “his knowledge of professional sports issues and the business of marketing correctly . . . and deep-rooted commitment to give back to the community.” Rosen is a contributor, fund-raiser or board member for such groups as City of Hope, AIDS Project L.A. and Crossroads, a private school in Santa Monica.

Soboroff is a longtime friend of Riordan’s who has served on two of the mayor’s commissions. As a member of the Harbor Commission, Soboroff helped renegotiate a deal with the railroads on the Alameda Corridor, a planned rail and trucking line between downtown and the harbor that is expected to stimulate jobs and commerce.

Times staff writers Bill Plaschke and Jean Merl contributed to this story.