USC football’s century-long relationship with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is likely headed for a one-year pause in 2028. Preparations for the Summer Olympics are expected to force the Trojans out of their historic home and into SoFi Stadium.
The LA Times reported that USC will almost certainly need to relocate for the 2028 season due to a $100 million temporary Olympic track being built inside the Coliseum. The massive structure, elevated 11 feet above the field and supported by columns placed roughly every 10 feet, will host the Olympics’ marquee track-and-field events. But its installation and removal render the stadium unusable for the start of college football that fall.
Construction is scheduled to begin immediately after USC’s 2027 home slate ends. That leaves no feasible timeline for restoration before the Trojans’ 2028 opener. Even the two-week window between the Paralympics closing ceremonies and USC’s scheduled kickoff would not be enough to rebuild the playing surface. Similar projects, like the temporary track installed for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, required more than a year of restoration.
Where could USC play during the 2028 Olympics?
That reality has pushed USC toward SoFi Stadium. That means the venue could host all four of the city’s major football programs in 2028. UCLA is already planning to move there in 2026. The Rams and Chargers long established tenants. USC officials said the school is “working in lockstep” with LA28 organizers but has not finalized a decision.
The move would temporarily end one of college football’s most enduring traditions. USC has played every home game at the Coliseum since 1923. It celebrated its 102nd season there in 2024 while going 7-0 at home behind coach Lincoln Riley. The stadium has been central to USC’s identity. It serves as the backdrop for national championships, Heisman campaigns, and generations of Trojan fans.
Now, USC faces a logistical and symbolic pivot. It underscores the magnitude of hosting the Olympics while signaling a rare, transformative season ahead for the Trojans. It's a program preparing to navigate a new home, a new Big Ten reality, and a once-in-a-lifetime shift in Los Angeles sports history.
