USC Football Stadium

USC has played football in the Coliseum ever since the grand stadium was built in 1923. In fact, the Trojans played in the first football game ever held there (beating Pomona College, 23-7, on Oct. 6, 1923).

Construction on the Coliseum took less than 2 years, with ground breaking ceremonies held on Dec. 21, 1921, and work completed on May 1, 1923. Initial construction costs were $800,000.

The Coliseum was the site of the 1932 Olympic Games and hosted the opening and closing ceremonies and track events of the 1984 Olympics. Over the years, the Coliseum has been home to many sports teams besides the Trojans, including UCLA football, Los Angeles Rams and Raiders football, and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball. The Coliseum has hosted various other events, from concerts and speeches to track meets and motorcycle races.

Prior to the 1993 football season, the Coliseum underwent a $15 million renovation. The Coliseum's floor was lowered 11 feet and the running track was removed to create a more intimate stadium. Fourteen new rows of seats (approximately 8,000 seats) were added down low, bringing fans closer to the playing field (the first rows of seats between the goalposts are a maximum of 54 feet from the sideline, instead of the previous 120 feet). During this renovation, the lockerrooms and public restrooms were also upgraded.

Southern California's damaging January, 1994 earthquake hit the Coliseum hard, requiring some $93 million of repairs. And, in the summer of 1995, a new $6 million press box was constructed.

The Coliseum has a present full-capacity of 94,159 seats (almost all are chair-back seats). However, for most USC games, a retractable fabric covers many seats, bringing the Coliseum's capacity to about 68,000. There are approximately 25,000 seats from goal line to goal line, including both the north and south sides.

The Coliseum is located on 17 acres in Exposition Park, which also houses museums, gardens and the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

The fabled history of the Coliseum spans seven decades and is the only facility in the world to have hosted two Olympiads, two Super Bowls, and a World Series.

In 1984, the State of California and the U.S. Government declared the Coliseum a State and National Historical Landmark.

The Coliseum has hosted a variety of globally important events, including the 1988 Amnesty International Tour, 1987 Papal mass (the first-ever papal visit to L.A.), and the Billy Graham Crusade, which set an all-time attendance record of 134,254.