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After visiting so many storied and old college football venues,we have been kind of
getting used to the same formula - a building that was built somewhere in the early
1900s as a 10,000 seat stadium, then added onto, expanded here and there etc. etc.
to bring it to its current form. And in most places, the demarcation lines of those
expansions are readily apparent.
Not so in South Central L.A.! This stadium was built and opened in 1923 as the grand
edifice you see today, and since the building's inception the University of Southern
California Trojans have called this place home.
The signature of this stadium are the arches and colonnades at the east end zone as
well as the Olympic cauldron. Yes this stadium was the home of the 1932 Olympics,
and also hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics, as well
as some track and field events. The stadium has also hosted numerous Super Bowls,
for a short time was the home for the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as the NFL Los
Angeles Raiders. Today the USC Trojans are the sole tenant.
In 1993 the stadium underwent a massive renovation. The field was lowered 11 feet
and seats were added to give the playing surface a more intimate feel. The outside
concourses of the stadium were built outward, yet the nostalgic aisle arches and
creeping ivy still give this place its charm. And while the stadium can seat almost
92,000, they have tarped over the seating in the east end zone and erected bleachers
in front of this area instead, to give the venue a semblance of intimacy and lowering
capacity to just under 70,000.
Much is made of this allegedly horrific and scary neighborhood surrounding the venue
but that is largely a myth. The stadium sits amidst a pretty parkland named "Exposition
Park" and next door is the L.A. Sports Arena, once home to the NBA Los Angeles
Clippers. Numerous smaller sports venues and museums also surround the venue,
and directly north is the USC campus.
Parking here is a bitch, and we were shocked at they eye popping prices that the
private lots were commanding. Definitely have a strategy if attending a game here. Or
plan to pay a cheaper price and prepare for a long walk. The limited lots nearest the
stadium are reserved for the most generous of athletic benefactors and VIPs.
On our visit USC was playing its arch rival UCLA and at stake was nothing short of a
berth in the Rose Bowl. So needless to say anticipation was running high for this
game. The Trojans have an arrogant swagger that surrounds the entire program, after
achieving all the success on the field in recent years. An no surprise - they easily
dispatched the Bruins by a 24-7 score on this day.
The talk on this day was that the Trojans might have played their last game in the
Coliseum, as their lease has expired and progress on a new deal is slow. The NFL is
lurking in the shadows, coveting the site as a new home for a pro team. But as the
week wore on, we learned that the folks in Pasadena weren't exactly enthralled at the
idea of inviting the hated Trojans to play at the Rose Bowl. Our guess is that a deal will
get done.
getting used to the same formula - a building that was built somewhere in the early
1900s as a 10,000 seat stadium, then added onto, expanded here and there etc. etc.
to bring it to its current form. And in most places, the demarcation lines of those
expansions are readily apparent.
Not so in South Central L.A.! This stadium was built and opened in 1923 as the grand
edifice you see today, and since the building's inception the University of Southern
California Trojans have called this place home.
The signature of this stadium are the arches and colonnades at the east end zone as
well as the Olympic cauldron. Yes this stadium was the home of the 1932 Olympics,
and also hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics, as well
as some track and field events. The stadium has also hosted numerous Super Bowls,
for a short time was the home for the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as the NFL Los
Angeles Raiders. Today the USC Trojans are the sole tenant.
In 1993 the stadium underwent a massive renovation. The field was lowered 11 feet
and seats were added to give the playing surface a more intimate feel. The outside
concourses of the stadium were built outward, yet the nostalgic aisle arches and
creeping ivy still give this place its charm. And while the stadium can seat almost
92,000, they have tarped over the seating in the east end zone and erected bleachers
in front of this area instead, to give the venue a semblance of intimacy and lowering
capacity to just under 70,000.
Much is made of this allegedly horrific and scary neighborhood surrounding the venue
but that is largely a myth. The stadium sits amidst a pretty parkland named "Exposition
Park" and next door is the L.A. Sports Arena, once home to the NBA Los Angeles
Clippers. Numerous smaller sports venues and museums also surround the venue,
and directly north is the USC campus.
Parking here is a bitch, and we were shocked at they eye popping prices that the
private lots were commanding. Definitely have a strategy if attending a game here. Or
plan to pay a cheaper price and prepare for a long walk. The limited lots nearest the
stadium are reserved for the most generous of athletic benefactors and VIPs.
On our visit USC was playing its arch rival UCLA and at stake was nothing short of a
berth in the Rose Bowl. So needless to say anticipation was running high for this
game. The Trojans have an arrogant swagger that surrounds the entire program, after
achieving all the success on the field in recent years. An no surprise - they easily
dispatched the Bruins by a 24-7 score on this day.
The talk on this day was that the Trojans might have played their last game in the
Coliseum, as their lease has expired and progress on a new deal is slow. The NFL is
lurking in the shadows, coveting the site as a new home for a pro team. But as the
week wore on, we learned that the folks in Pasadena weren't exactly enthralled at the
idea of inviting the hated Trojans to play at the Rose Bowl. Our guess is that a deal will
get done.
LOS
ANGELES
MEMORIAL
COLISEUM
Los Angeles,
California
December 1,
2007
UCLA Bruins
at
USC Trojans
ANGELES
MEMORIAL
COLISEUM
Los Angeles,
California
December 1,
2007
UCLA Bruins
at
USC Trojans
| Los Angeles, California |
Los Angeles Coliseum
