Historic Coliseum set for massive facelift forcing USC football to find a new home that could be shared with three other teams

USC football has called the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum home since it first opened in 1923.

But now, they will be on the move for the first time in 105 years.

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The 2028 Summer Olympics could temporarily displace USC from the Coliseum, forcing them to play their 2028 home games at SoFi Stadium.

This is because the Coliseum will have just hosted track and field events for the Olympics and Paralympics, and the stadium may not be ready in time for the football season just weeks later.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the $100 million temporary track being built may not be dismantled in time for the start of the 2028 football season.

The temporary track is being constructed directly over USC’s football field. After the July 30, 2028, closing ceremony, it will need to be removed, and the field restored in time for the start of the football season in September.

USC’s home opener that year is currently scheduled for September 9.

Since the Coliseum’s field is natural grass, restoring it requires additional time, making the turnaround highly unlikely.

“USC and LA28 are working in lockstep on all logistics for the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” USC spokesperson Cody Worsham said in a statement to the Los Angeles Times.

“We will share details with the public when they are finalized.”

No final decision has been made, and it’s possible the field could be ready later in the season, enabling the Trojans to play part of their 2028 schedule at their usual home.

But if it isn’t, SoFi Stadium would be the most likely option, and at that point, it’s going to be extremely crowded.

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Not only is the $5.5 billion, state-of-the-art stadium home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, but the UCLA Bruins could very well be calling it home themselves by the start of next year.

That’s because they have reportedly been trying to break their lease with the iconic Rose Bowl and leave Pasadena to play their home games closer to campus.

The UCLA administration has identified SoFi Stadium as their likely next move, though there is still a lot of red tape to navigate.

As for USC itself, the Trojans’ potential temporary exit does not come as a surprise to them.

It has been nearly a decade since it was announced that the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum would host the 2028 Summer Olympics.

The decision was made during the 131st IOC Session on July 31, 2017, marking the third time the Coliseum will serve as an Olympic venue.

The Coliseum previously hosted the 1932 and 1984 Summer Olympics. When the 2028 Games begin, it will become the first venue in history to host three separate Olympic Games.

This wouldn’t be the first time in USC’s storied history that they’ve had to share a stadium; in fact, it’s far from it.

USC and UCLA shared the Coliseum for 54 years until the Bruins relocated to the Rose Bowl in 1982. During 33 of those years, the Coliseum also served as the home stadium for the Rams on Sundays.

It may be deja vu all over again for those programs in two years.