Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
United Airlines Field
L.A. Coliseum
The Grand Old Lady
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2019
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is located in the Los Angeles metropolitan area
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Location in L.A. metro area
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is located in California
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Location in California
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is located in the United States
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Location in the United States
Address3911 South Figueroa Street
LocationLos Angeles, California, U.S.
Coordinates34°0′51″N 118°17′16″W / 34.01417°N 118.28778°W / 34.01417; -118.28778
Public transit E Line  Expo Park/USC
Expo/Vermont
OwnerState of California, Los Angeles County, and City of Los Angeles
OperatorUniversity of Southern California
Executive suites42
Capacity77,500
93,607 (pre-2018)
[1][2]
SurfaceBermuda grass
Construction
Broke groundDecember 21, 1921 (1921-12-21)
OpenedMay 1, 1923 (1923-05-01)
Renovated1930, 1964, 1977–78, 1983, 1993, 1995, 2011, 2017–2019
Construction costUS$954,872.98 (original)[3]($16.4 million in 2022 dollars[4])
$954,869 (renovations in 2010)
($1.28 million in 2022 dollars[4])
$315 million (renovations in 2018)[5][6][7]
ArchitectJohn and Donald Parkinson (original)
DLR Group (renovations)
General contractorEdwards, Widley & Dixon Company (original)[3]
Hunt & Hathaway Dinwiddie Construction Company (renovations)
Tenants

Former

List
Website
lacoliseum.com
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Peristyle plaza entrance to the Coliseum, including the two bronze Olympic statues
Area29.2 acres (11.8 ha)
Architectural styleArt Moderne[10]
NRHP reference No.84003866[9]
CHISL No.960
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 27, 1984
Designated NHLJuly 27, 1984[11]

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (also known as the L.A. Coliseum) is a multi-purpose stadium in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, United States. Conceived as a hallmark of civic pride, the Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a memorial to Los Angeles veterans of World War I. Completed in 1923, it will become the first stadium to have hosted the Summer Olympics three times when it hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics;[12] the stadium previously hosted the Summer Olympics in 1932 and 1984. It was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 27, 1984, a day before the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics.[11]

The stadium serves as the home of the University of Southern California Trojans football team of the Big Ten Conference, and is located directly adjacent to the school's main University Park campus. It has also hosted the Busch Light Clash for NASCAR since 2022, in which the infield is paved over into a quarter-mile long racetrack for NASCAR Cup cars to race on every February.

The Coliseum is jointly owned by the State of California's Sixth District Agricultural Association, Los Angeles County, and the city of Los Angeles. It is managed and operated by the Auxiliary Services Department of the University of Southern California (USC).[13]

USC granted naming rights to United Airlines in January 2018. After concerns were raised by the Coliseum Commission, which has public oversight of USC's management and operation of the Coliseum, the airline agreed to become the title sponsor of the playing field, naming it United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[14]

The Coliseum was the home of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL) from 1946 to 1979, when they moved to Anaheim Stadium in Anaheim, and again from 2016 to 2019, prior to the team's move to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. The facility had a permanent seating capacity of 93,607 for USC football and Rams games, making it the largest football stadium in the Pac-12 Conference and the NFL.[15] The stadium also was the temporary home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1958 to 1961, and was the host venue for games three, four, and five of the 1959 World Series. It was the site of the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (later called Super Bowl I) and Super Bowl VII. Additionally, it has served as a home field for a number of other teams, including the 1960 inaugural season for the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL from 1982 to 1994, and UCLA Bruins football.

From 1959 to 2016, the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was located adjacent to the Coliseum before it closed in March 2016. BMO Stadium, formerly Banc of California Stadium, a soccer-specific stadium and the home of Major League Soccer (MLS)'s Los Angeles FC, was constructed on the former Sports Arena site, and opened in 2018.

In 2019, USC completed a two year long major renovation of the stadium that included replacing the seating along with the addition of luxury boxes and club suites.[16][17] The $315 million project, funded solely by the university and managed by architectural firm DLR Group, was the first major upgrade of the stadium in twenty years.[18] The improvements and added amenities resulted in a reduced stadium capacity from 92,348 to 77,500.[19]

  1. ^ "Memorial Coliseum". University of Southern California. 2009. Archived from the original on March 2, 2010. Retrieved March 28, 2010.
  2. ^ Thiry, Lindsey - USC Trojans' home is now officially the United Airlines Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles Times, January 29, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Benson, Michael (1989). Ballparks of North America: a comprehensive historical reference to baseball grounds, yards, and stadiums, 1845 to present. McFarland. ISBN 0-89950-367-5.
  4. ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cost $315 M was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ "USC kicks off $270 million renovation of Coliseum - USC News. January 29, 2018". USC News. January 29, 2018.
  7. ^ Kaufman, Joey (May 31, 2018). "USC's Coliseum renovation about $30 million over budget". Orange County Register. Retrieved June 1, 2018.
  8. ^ "General FAQs". welcomehomerams.com. Los Angeles Rams. January 18, 2016. Archived from the original on January 17, 2016. Retrieved January 18, 2016. Where will the Rams play? For the first three seasons we'll play at the L.A. Coliseum. In 2019, we'll move into the most advanced, world-class stadium ever built located in Inglewood, CA.
  9. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  10. ^ Charleton, James H. (June 21, 1984). "Los Angeles Memorial.Coliseum" (pdf). National Register of Historic Places – Inventory Nomination Form. National Park Service. Retrieved May 22, 2012.
  11. ^ a b Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Archived November 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, National Landmarks Program, National Park Service, Accessed November 12, 2007.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference USC News 2018-03-29 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ "USC Auxiliary Services". USC Auxiliary Services.
  14. ^ "USC and United Airlines agree to name field at the Coliseum". USC News. June 7, 2019.
  15. ^ "Don't judge Rams home attendance based on percentage of seats filled". December 6, 2016.
  16. ^ "The USC Coliseum Renovation Project Website". Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved January 20, 2018.
  17. ^ "Coliseum renovation reaches halfway point with topping-off ceremony". USC News. August 15, 2018.
  18. ^ "USC, L.A. leaders reintroduce the renovated Coliseum". USC News. August 15, 2019.
  19. ^ "Renovation Unveiled at Iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum". DLR Group. Retrieved May 19, 2022.