Upcoming USC Trojans Football dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
The Coliseum seat call for a Trojans Saturday
Buy a sideline seat between the 20-yard lines, about 20 rows up or higher, and you have the best view USC offers at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. For an early kickoff on a warm day, the south sideline, under the press tower, keeps the sun behind you. The end zones cost less, but this bowl is wide, and the far goal line feels a long way off.
One rule to remember: low rows look better on a seating chart than they are. The field sits inside the footprint of the old running track, so the bottom rows, especially behind the end zones, sit farther from the play and lower than you expect.
Tower side, peristyle end and the shallow bowl
Built in 1923, the Coliseum was the main stadium for the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics and is set to host again in 2028. USC runs the stadium under a master lease. A 2019 overhaul installed all-new seating, gave some seats and aisles more room and put up a seven-level structure along the south sideline for the press box, suites, loges and club seating. Capacity is 77,500.
- Orientation: the field runs east to west.
- South sideline: in front of the new tower.
- North sideline: faces the tower.
- East end: the peristyle, the line of arches crowned by the Olympic cauldron. Seats looking at it give the classic Coliseum view, and many visitors buy there for the photo alone.
Height matters
Because the bowl is broad and fairly shallow, a sideline seat about 20 or more rows up lifts you over the bench crowd and shows the whole field. The front rows put players and staff squarely in your sightline.
The Legion
USC Athletics places the student section, the Legion, in sections 123 to 127 and 225 to 227, with students entering at Gate 28. Neighboring seats are loud, and fans there stand all game.
Sun
With an east-west field, the north sideline faces south into the sun during day games, while the south sideline has the sun at its back and the tower overhead. When heat is a factor, choose the south side. This is based on the field's orientation rather than a published shade chart.
Shillelagh, Victory Bell and the Big Ten newcomers
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football: the Jeweled Shillelagh series has been played most years since 1926 and has involved more national champions and Heisman winners than any other rivalry. It alternates between Los Angeles and South Bend, and it is not on USC's published 2026 schedule.
- UCLA Bruins Football: the crosstown Victory Bell game between campuses 10 miles apart. The 2026 meeting is a road game on November 28 at the Rose Bowl; the Coliseum gets it every other year.
Big Ten membership has added new demand. The 2026 home schedule brings Oregon Ducks Football, Washington Huskies Football, Ohio State Buckeyes Football and Maryland to the Coliseum, and Ohio State travels with one of the biggest road followings in college football. Those dates, plus any late-season game with conference stakes, bring the steepest resale prices. The quickest, easiest buys are September games against West Coast nonconference teams, such as San José State, Fresno State and Louisiana in 2026, are the easiest tickets to find.
Trojan Athletic Fund priority and resale timing
Donations to the Trojan Athletic Fund rank season ticket buyers for both seats and parking, and single-game sales open after renewals close. Students pay for their tickets, which arrive in a phone wallet. You can usually buy single games for most of the home slate, but the strongest sideline locations stay with donors.
For a headline visitor such as Ohio State, or Notre Dame and UCLA in their home years, most fans end up buying from other fans. Season ticket holders sell off single games, and sideline supply tends to be widest in the weeks before kickoff rather than the final days. Reserved Seat backs every order with a 100% guarantee.
Expo Line, rideshare zones and campus tailgates
- Metro E Line: get off at Expo/USC or Expo/Vermont, both a short walk north of the Coliseum; the ride takes around 15 minutes from either downtown or Culver City. For most fans this is the easiest way in and out.
- Rideshare: the designated zones are on Vermont between Exposition and 36th Place, plus the corner of Flower and Jefferson.
- Driving: expect a walk of 0.6 to 0.9 mile from the campus garages to the stadium. Build in extra time for traffic around Exposition Park.
As of the 2026 season, on-campus parking opens six hours ahead of kickoff, takes cards only and is not reserved, while certain Exposition Park lots are set aside for Trojan Athletic Fund donors. Tailgating is allowed on campus lawns with a permit, but not inside garages, and in designated spaces in Exposition Park.
Inside, listen for "Fight On," the fight song that doubles as the program's battle cry, paired with the two-finger V for victory sign, and watch for Traveler, the horse that serves as mascot.
What you can carry into the Coliseum
As of the 2026 season, each fan may bring a single transparent bag (plastic, vinyl or PVC, 12 x 6 x 12 inches maximum) or a gallon-size clear zip bag, and may add a clutch small enough to fit in one hand. Security will not admit coolers, backpacks, cinch sacks, fanny packs, camera bags or purses larger than that clutch. Read the USC clear bag policy before you go, since it can change.
Tailback U, McKay, Carroll and 11 claimed titles
USC first played in 1888 and moved to the Big Ten in 2024. The school counts 11 national titles, from 1928 through 2004 (1928, 1931, 1932, 1939, 1962, 1967, 1972, 1974, 1978, 2003, 2004). Sanctions led the BCS to vacate the last of those, though the AP poll still credits USC with the 2004 championship.
No school has more Heisman Trophy winners than USC's eight, and five of those winners were tailbacks (Garrett, Simpson, White, Allen and Bush), which gave the school the name "Tailback U." USC also holds the records for Rose Bowl Game appearances and wins, with 25 victories in 34 trips. John McKay's teams from 1960 to 1975 won four national titles, and Pete Carroll's teams of the 2000s put the Trojans back on top. Players and coaches turn over each season; the USC Athletics site has the current roster.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the Coliseum is better for a day game?
The south sideline. The field runs east to west, so south-side seats have the sun behind them and the press tower above, while the north side faces the sun.
Should you buy low rows at the Coliseum?
Often not. Because the field fills what used to be a track oval, the bottom rows sit low and set back from the action, and the end zone ones most of all. Aim for about row 20 or higher on a sideline.
What is the peristyle at the Coliseum?
It is the row of arches beneath the Olympic cauldron that closes off the stadium's east end. Seats facing it give the classic Coliseum view.
Which USC home games are hardest to get in 2026?
Ohio State, Oregon and Washington are the biggest visitors on the 2026 home schedule. The UCLA game is in Pasadena that year, and Notre Dame is not on the 2026 schedule.
Do USC parking lots take cash?
No. As of the 2026 season, campus lots and structures are cashless, open six hours before kickoff and fill first come, first served.