A Guide To The L.A. Memorial Coliseum

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is the only stadium in the world to have hosted two separate Olympic games (1932 and 1984). In 1994, the Raiders moved to Oakland leaving the USC Trojans as the sole tenant. The huge capacity (95,000+) has made the Coliseum an ideal landing spot for football, special events and concerts.

Getting There

Los Angeles is known for its traffic, and getting to the Coliseum will likely test your patience. Located just off the campus of USC, the L.A. Coliseum is right off one of the busiest sections of the 110 Freeway. On some Saturdays, nearly 200,000 people can be seen traveling through a 16-mile stretch of L.A.'s freeways while on their way to a concert at L.A. Live, a football game at the Rose Bowl or a game at Dodger Stadium. So exit the freeway early! Here's how:

If arriving from the West: Take the Santa Monica 10 Freeway going Eastbound (from the Westside): Exit the freeway at either Western, Normandie or Vermont, proceed south (turn right) and make a left turn on Jefferson Blvd. Both USC Gates #4 and #5 are accessible from here.

If arriving from the East: Tale the Santa Monica 10 Freeway going Westbound (from the Eastside): Exit the freeway at Los Angeles Street, proceed west to Grand Avenue, then turn left (south). There is a USC parking facility just south of the intersection of Grand and Jefferson Blvd. As an alternative, you can also exit the 10 Freeway at Vermont or Normandie, turn left (south) and proceed to Jefferson before making another left to access Gates #4 or #5.

If arriving from the South: Take the 110 Harbor Freeway North (from the South Bay): Exit the freeway at Gage, Slauson or Vernon, make a left hand turn, and proceed to Vermont Avenue. Make a right and take Vermont north to the USC Campus, just north of Exposition Blvd. Gate #6 will be accessible from Vermont & 36th and Gate #5 is accessible by turning right on Jefferson and proceeding to McClintock.

If arriving from the North: Take the 110 Harbor Freeway South (from the Valley): Exit the freeway at Adams Blvd., which will intersect Figueroa Street. Turn right on Adams Blvd., proceed west to Hoover and make a left hand turn. Take Hoover to Jefferson and make a left, and there will be a number of USC lots accessible in this manner. As an alternative, take the Harbor Freeway south just past the Coliseum to Vernon, Slauson or Gage, make a right hand turn (west) to Vermont Avenue. Make a right and take Vermont north to the USC Campus, just north of Exposition Blvd.. Gate #6 will be accessible from Vermont & 36th, and Gate #5 is accessible by turning right on Jefferson and proceeding to McClintock.

Take The Metro

Visitors can connect to local Metro Bus service at Union Station in downtown Los Angeles via the Metro Red/Purple Line or the Metro Gold Line by using Metro Rapid Line 740 that operates out of the bus plaza adjacent to the east portal at Union Station. From bus bay # 5, patrons can take Metro Bus Line 740 (South Bay Galleria-Redondo Beach) and get off the line at Broadway and Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Game goers can also board Metro Bus Line 40 or Metro Bus Line 42/42A (LAX) at Cesar Chavez and Vignes next to Union Station and head southbound getting off on Martin Luther King Boulevard and Figueroa.

From the San Fernando Valley, Hollywood and Westside areas, patrons can take the Metro Red/Purple Line to the 7th Street/Metro Center Station in the heart of downtown Los Angeles and transfer to the Metro Blue Line to Long Beach alighting at the Metro Blue Line Grand Station where they can connect to Metro line 40, 42/42A three blocks east of Broadway at Broadway and Washington and head south.

Metro operates a number of Metro bus and rail lines including the Metro Blue Line between Long Beach and Los Angeles, the Metro Green Line between Norwalk and El Segundo, the Metro Red/Purple subway lines from the Westside, the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood areas as well as the Metro Gold Line between Pasadena and Los Angeles.

For specific route and schedule information regarding Metro services to the LA Memorial Coliseum, visit Metro's Trip Planner or call 1-800-C-O-M-M-U-T-E.

Coming soon! The Expo Line will make Metro the easiest option, with three different stops in and surrounding the USC campus.

Parking

The University offers limited parking for around $20 at select gates, but don't expect to find any spots. Rates can sore as high as $100 for huge games if you want to park at Figueroa and 39th.

Tailgating

Give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the pregame for Trojans football; Thousands of people gather on and around campus with grills, beer-pong tables and satellite TV.

Visitor Section/USC Games

If you purchase USC tickets through a visiting school, expect TERRIBLE seats. Do your best to find tickets anywhere else in the stadium.

Food/Comfort

The concessions are primarily classic stadium food, but you can find specialty items in the concourse, like the very popular kettle corn. For the restrooms, expect long lines at halftime and after the game.

Tip: When the Trojans have the ball on offense, the lines for the restroom are the shortest.

Tradition Of USC Football

The tradition that is USC football begins and ends with the Song Girls and Spirit of Troy Marching Band. The Song Girls do not perform cheers and are primarily a dance squad, known for their white sweaters.

The Spirit of Troy, USC's marching band, has been featured in 10 major movies and is amongst the most well known student bands in the country.

Historic Events

Olympics 1932, 1984

First Dodgers Game In L.A., 1958

MLB All-Star Game, 1958

Democratic National Convention- JFK's Acceptance Speech, 1960

Expansion LA Angels, 1961

First NFL-AFL Championship Game, 1967

Super Bowl, 1973

Pro Bowl, 1951-1972, 1979