USC replaces FCS foe UC Davis with San Jose State on 2021 schedule
USC's new athletics administration heard the fans and the backlash to the Trojans scheduling FCS-level UC Davis for the 2021 season, and that decision made by the previous regime has swiftly been reversed.
USC will pay to get out of that contract and will instead play FBS foe San Jose State on Sept. 4, 2021, in the Coliseum, protecting its streak of having never played an FCS opponent.
The Trojans, UCLA and Notre Dame are the only FBS programs who can make that claim, and with the recent on-field performance already falling short of USC's lofty standards, fans were vocal in their opposition to cede any other standards voluntarily.
It also helped USC that San Jose State recently came up with a vacancy for that date, making the switch possible.
As USC officially made the announcement of the change Thursday -- USCFootball.com first reported Wednesday that the Trojans were finalizing plans to replace UC Davis on the schedule -- new senior associate athletic director Brandon Sosna tweeted out "History preserved!"
“We recognize the long-standing tradition that USC has only played FBS schools and we heard passionately from our fans about how important that is to them,” USC athletic director Mike Bohn said in a statement. “So when this opportunity to schedule San Jose State arose, we listened and made it happen.”
Former high-ranking athletic department official Steve Lopes had lined up the UC Davis contract last summer in the effort of making sure USC had seven home games on the 2021 schedule. At the time, USC conveyed that it had sought out other FBS opponents for that spot and was unable to find a match.
San Jose State recently became available when Georgia bought it out of a contract for its 2021 season opener to clear the way for a neutral-site matchup with Clemson.
Lopes, meanwhile, was fired in January along with two other senior officials as part of a continued house cleaning of the athletic department that began with former AD Lynn Swann's dismissal in September and Bohn's hiring as AD in November.
According to the LA Times' Ryan Kartje, USC must pay $725,000 to cancel the game with UC Davis -- a fee that would have been $225,000 less if cancelled before Jan. 1, per the terms of the contract. But San Jose State wasn't available then, and most teams have their 2021 schedules set at this point.
USC and San Jose State have met four times prior, with the Trojans winning all four, and they're also set to play in 2024 in the Coliseum.
San Jose State, which plays in the Mountain West Conference, went 5-7 last season and beat SEC foe Arkansas 31-24 on the road.