Surely through no coincidence, on the eve of USC's first Big Ten game -- a marquee spotlight showdown with Michigan -- the Trojans' official athletics YouTube account dropped a video hyping up the program's under-construction football performance center and team facility.
Coach Lincoln Riley narrated the video titled "The New Home of USC Football | Coming 2026."
The video shows off the exterior rendering of the building that will sit adjacent to USC's two practice fields, touting its 1,344 square feet of space per player as "top 3 in the country," showing an ornate lobby that will display the program's national championships and Heisman Trophy winners, an "All-American Tunnel" for its 168 All-Americans, a NFL wall showcasing Trojans who were drafted, a hallway dedicated to USC's 14 Pro Football Hall of Fame honorees, a new-age locker room, team meeting rooms, a "naturally-lit weight room", nutrition centers, a "recharge lounge" for recovery, a hydrotherapy spa, rooftop terraces overlooking the practice field and more.
At the end of the video, Riley says "This is the place to be. This is the home of the greatest college football program of all-time. This is USC."
In her "State of Troy" address to fans and supporters Friday, USC athletic director Jen Cohen stated that donors have contributed $107 million toward the Athletics West project, which also includes new baseball facilities, "helping us surpass 50% of our $200 million goal."
"We are currently in the leadership gift phase of the campaign, and you will hear more information about this campaign later this fall," Cohen said.
The football performance center is scheduled to open in the summer of 2026 and is scheduled for groundbreaking in November.
"[It] will be a game-changer for our program, assisting in recruiting and retention, providing first-class care, and ensuring that USC is the place to be for the best student-athletes in college football," Cohen wrote. "Once opened, this facility provides an additional benefit by allowing us to reimagine and better utilize the John McKay Center to serve our entire student-athlete population."
The new Dedeaux Field for the baseball program will have a capacity of 2,500 to 3,000 fans with an ability to expand and "will provide multiple seating options for a dynamic fan experience, a state-of-the-art video board, a right field social area, enhanced permanent concessions locations, and many other amenities. The facility will also house a team locker room and players' lounge, nutrition stations, indoor batting cages, and a pitching lab, as well as coaches' offices, team meeting room and a baseball analytics lab.
"Our goal is to have the new Dedeaux Field ready for practice conditions in spring of 2025 and to welcome fans to the stadium for games in the 2026 season."
