Lincoln Riley Doesn't Hold Back on USC’s Investment in State-of-the-Art Facility

The USC Trojans will open the Bloom Performance Center this summer and Lincoln Riley spoke about the university's investment into the football program and what it means moving forward.

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans have been in need of an upgrade to its football facilities for quite some time. The current ones are outdated and underwhelming, to say the least. 

In November 2024, the Trojans broke ground on the Bloom Football Performance Center, their brand new state-of-the-art $200 million facility. Fast forward to February 2026 and they are getting closer to officially moving in. 

Jul 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; USC head coach Lincoln Riley speaks to the media during the Big Ten NCAA college football media days at Mandalay Bay Resort. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images | Lucas Peltier-Imagn Images

USC coach Lincoln Riley recently shared a video on social media of the view from the open-air player’s lounge.

“It’s great. This is something that was really needed here,” said USC coach on the NFL Network’s “Super Bowl Live” on Monday. “It’s cool to see our universities investment, our administrations investment in football, understanding how important it is to SC, to Southern California and this is a great example. We’ll move into to the Bloom here in a couple of months and be an absolute game changer for our program. 

“Just one of the many examples USC is investing and do everything possible to be back at the top of college football again and it’s fun to be a place that is hungry and driven.”

The new three-story facility will be roughly 160,000 square feet and feature two full-length practice fields, one grass and one turf, and a massive weight room that will include direct access to the fields. It will have hydrotherapy and recovery pools, an auditorium for the entire football team, 12 position-specific meeting rooms, fueling and nutrition stations, a sports science space, lounges for current players and recruits.

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It’s also a commitment to players off the field. It provides plenty of opportunities for them to bond with indoor and outdoor spaces, basketball and pickleball courts, and a terrace for recruits and their families to watch practice.

The goal is to help elevate player development, recovery and overall football operations to a new level, all of which will lead to better performances on the field. It will be a spectacle for recruits. The arms race for best facility doesn’t hold the same weight as did a decade ago but everything impacts recruiting. 

Investment in Football Program

USC Trojans general manager Chad Bowden hired from Notre Dame Fighting Irish | USC Trojans Video Youtube

USC has gone all-in to improve every aspect of its program.

The hiring of general manager Chad Bowden, along with a revamped recruiting staff paid dividends in just one year. Roster retention was much better than it had been recently and most importantly, the NIL collectives are at a level for them to compete with the best in the country. 

They made key hires such as tight ends and inside receivers coach Chad Savage and cornerbacks coach Trovon Reed. Their impact was felt on recruiting and on the field. It was a combination of Bowden, the Trojans recruiting and coach staff that led to them securing the No. 1 overall recruiting class. 

Dec 30, 2025; San Antonio, TX, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley watches in the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs during the Alamo Bowl at Alamodome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

This offseason, they hired 2026 Hall of Fame electee Gary Patterson to be the school’s next defensive coordinator. He brings his longtime TCU assistant and Baylor’s former pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach Paul Gonzales. And former Nebraska coach Mike Ekeler heads west to be the Trojans special teams and linebackers coach. 

USC committed to the players on the roster with its new facility but also in their development with some major hires. The next and most important step is results on the field in 2026.