College Football HQ

Major college football team reportedly forced out of home stadium for Olympics

Rowan Fisher Shotton|
Los Angeles, California, USA; A general overall view as Southern California Trojans players enter the field against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Los Angeles, California, USA; A general overall view as Southern California Trojans players enter the field against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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USC Trojans

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is USC’s campus stadium and an anchor of Trojan tradition since 1923. 

It has already hosted two Olympic Games (1932, 1984) and will make history in 2028 as the first stadium to stage a third Olympiad.

As a result, sources reported Thursday that the Trojans are expected to play their 2028 home schedule at SoFi Stadium, with the Coliseum to be made unavailable, or at least impractical, for the fall season.

The Los Angeles Times reported that the Coliseum would not be ready for the start of the 2028 college football season due to the $100-million temporary track that’s being built on top of the Coliseum field to host the Olympic and Paralympic track-and-field competitions.

The Coliseum will also host athletics and major ceremonies for the July 14–30, 2028, Games, and the resulting conversion work and de-installation window leave too little time to restore the playing surface.

Practically, SoFi is an obvious fallback: the NFL facility is modern, nearby, and already built for high capacity and broadcast needs. 

But the shift would alter revenue dynamics, ticketing, fan travel patterns, and, perhaps most importantly for coaches and recruits, the iconic atmosphere of one of the most historic stadiums in college football.

That news also arrives as another storyline, Lincoln Riley’s future, continues to swirl. 

Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley.
Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley celebrates with fans after the game against the UCLA Bruins at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Riley has been USC's head coach since 2022, compiling a 35-17 record through 2025 and counting, and restoring an explosive offense, culminating in an 11-3 debut in 2022. 

A proven quarterback developer and four-time conference winner at Oklahoma, Riley brought immediate national relevancy to USC and has multiple College Football Playoff appearances on his resume.

Reports peg his USC deal initially at roughly $110 million over 10 seasons, with an estimated buyout of around $80–90 million.

Yet Riley has been linked to several high-profile openings, including Florida and, more recently, Michigan, though he has publicly downplayed any intent to leave. 

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Rowan Fisher
ROWAN FISHER SHOTTON

Rowan Fisher-Shotton is a versatile journalist known for sharp analysis, player-driven storytelling, and quick-turn coverage across CFB, CBB, the NBA, WNBA, and NFL. A Wilfrid Laurier alum and lifelong athlete, he’s written for FanSided, Pro Football Network, Athlon Sports, and Newsweek, tackling every beat with both a reporter’s edge and a player’s eye.

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