USC Trojans

The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy (the university officially approves both terms). The program participates in the Big Ten Conference and has won 139 team national championships, 115 of which are National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships. USC's official colors are cardinal and gold.

The Trojans have a cross-town rivalry in several sports with UCLA. However, USC's football rivalry with Notre Dame predates the UCLA rivalry by three years. The Notre Dame rivalry stems mainly from the annual football game played between these two universities and is considered the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football. The Trojans also enjoy a rivalry with the Stanford Cardinal. The USC Trojans are considered one of the most successful college athletic programs.

Overview

See also: List of NCAA schools with the most Division I national championships

The USC Trojans are the sports teams for the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. They have won 139 team national championships, with 115 of those being NCAA National Championships. This places them third in the number of championships, behind UCLA and Stanford.

The men's teams, called the Trojans, have won 100 national championships, which is more than any other university. The women's teams, known as the Women of Troy, have won 39 national championships, ranking third in the country. USC has also won the National College All-Sports Championship six times since 1971, an award given by USA Today for the top athletic programs in the country.

Sports teams

USC sponsors teams in ten men's and thirteen women's NCAA sanctioned sports.

Football

The USC Trojans football program started in 1888 and has an all-time win–loss record of 793–313–54, giving the program a .707 winning percentage. USC has been voted National Champions 11 times and is known for its Heisman Trophy winners. USC has the most Heisman winners at 8, with notable winners including Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, and Reggie Bush.

Baseball

The USC Trojans baseball program has a notable history, with 12 baseball national championships. Since starting baseball in 1924, the Trojans have compiled a record of 2,221-1,093-15 against college opponents. USC has produced many major league players, including Ron Fairly, Don Buford, and Tom Seaver.

Basketball

Men's basketball

The USC Trojans men's basketball program has a long tradition, with over 1,000 victories in college basketball. Since starting basketball in 1907, the Trojans have compiled a record of 1,357–984, winning 14 league championships.

Women's basketball

The USC Trojans women's basketball program has been near the top almost ever since first reaching the pinnacle of success in 1983, winning national championships in 1983 and 1984. The Women of Troy have made the NCAA tourney 6 of the past 14 years.

Women's beach volleyball

The USC Trojans women's beach volleyball team first became a varsity sport in the 2012 season. The Trojans won an AVCA national team title in 2015 and the inaugural NCAA title in 2016.

Golf

Men's golf

Three USC golfers have won four NCAA individual championships: Scott Simpson, Ron Commans, and Jamie Lovemark. The team has won 20 Pac-12 championships.

Women's golf

The USC women's golf team has won three NCAA team titles, in 2003, 2008, and 2013. The team has won 8 Pac-12 championships.

Women's rowing

The women's rowing team has been active since the early 1970s. At the 1998 NCAA meet, the Women of Troy rowers captured their first-ever national championship race in the varsity four+.

Women's soccer

The women's soccer team began competing in 1993. USC won the national title in 2007 and 2016.

Swimming and diving

Men's swimming and diving

USC men's swimmers have made Olympic teams 122 times, winning numerous medals. Since beginning swimming in 1929, the Trojans have captured 9 NCAA championships.

Women's swimming and diving

USC's women's swimming program has finished in the top 10 nationally 25 of the last 30 years, including winning the NCAA title in 1997.

Tennis

Men's tennis

USC players have been named to All-American teams 137 times. In 2012, Steve Johnson completed his USC career having won 72 consecutive singles matches.

Women's tennis

USC has won national singles titles five times. Prominent USC stars have included Barbara Hallquist, Lea Antonoplis, and Sheila McInerney.

Track and field

Men's track and field

The Trojans have won 27 NCAA titles in outdoor track, plus 3 indoor NCAA titles and 35 Pacific Coast or Pac-10 crowns. Since 1912, 61 USC track men have equaled or bettered world records.

Women's track and field, cross country

The women's track program at USC has developed into one of the nation's finest. The Trojans have placed in the Top 10 of the NCAA Championships 12 times, including winning the program's first-ever NCAA team title in 2001.

Volleyball

Men's volleyball

The men's volleyball team has made 11 NCAA Final Four appearances since scholarships were first awarded by Troy in the sport in 1977. The Trojans have won 4 NCAA titles.

Women's volleyball

USC Volleyball has won 6 national championships, 3 in NCAA. Erbe coached the 1976, 1977 and 1980 AIAW champions and the 1981 NCAA titlists.

Water polo

Men's water polo

Since starting water polo in 1922, the Trojans have compiled a 1191-511-8 record, winning 15 conference championships along the way.

Women's water polo

USC's women's water polo team began play in 1995. In 1999, the Women of Troy won the national championship. USC won the NCAA title in 2004, 2010, 2013, and 2016.

Notable non-varsity teams

Men's rugby

The USC Trojan Rugby Football Club began in 1886 and is the oldest sport at USC. The team plays in Division 1-A college rugby in the PAC Rugby Conference, competing against other PAC-12 schools. The team is led by head coach Loa Milford, and it is special because it is the only club team at USC that gives varsity letters to its players.

Championships

The USC Trojans have won many national championships in different sports. In NCAA competitions, they have won 116 team titles. These include 87 titles for men's teams and 28 for women's teams. Some of the sports where they have won include baseball, gymnastics, track and field, swimming, tennis, volleyball, and water polo.

The Trojans have also won 24 national team titles that were not awarded by the NCAA. These include football, volleyball, beach volleyball, tennis, and water polo. These titles come from different organizations and competitions outside of the NCAA.

Trophies

Victory Bell

The Victory Bell is a special trophy for the rivalry between the University of Southern California (USC) and UCLA. The team that wins their yearly football game gets to keep the bell for the next year and paint it their school color—cardinal red for USC or True Blue for UCLA.

The bell, which weighs 295 pounds, was originally taken from the top of a train. It was given to UCLA students in 1939. But during a game in 1941, some USC students took the bell back. It was hidden for over a year in different places. Finally, the schools agreed that when USC has the bell, it is shown before games, and during games, it is placed near the field and rung when USC scores.

The Jeweled Shillelagh

The Jeweled Shillelagh is the trophy for the rivalry between USC and Notre Dame in football. The winning team keeps it each year. For each USC win, a ruby-adorned Trojan head with the year and score is added. For each Notre Dame win, an emerald-studded shamrock with the same details is added. The trophy was started in 1952 and has space for medals from each game.

Gauntlet Trophy

Since 2001, USC and UCLA have competed in a series of sports events called the SoCal BMW Crosstown Cup. The winning school earns points for each victory, and the team with the most points at the end wins the trophy. USC has won this competition several times over the years.

Athletic facilities

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is one of the largest stadiums in America. The USC Trojans have played football there since it was built in 1923. The Coliseum hosted the 1932 Summer Olympics and the 1984 Olympic Games. It has been home to many sports teams over the years, including UCLA football, Los Angeles Chargers, Los Angeles Rams, Los Angeles Raiders football, and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball.

John McKay Center at USC

The John McKay Center at USC opened in 2012. It is a large athletic and academic center named after football coach John McKay. The building includes meeting rooms, coaches’ offices, a locker room for the football team, and an academic center for student-athletes.

Howard Jones Field/Brian Kennedy Field

Howard Jones Field/Brian Kennedy Field are the practice fields for the USC Trojans football team.

Cromwell Field and Loker Stadium

The Katherine B. Loker Stadium houses Cromwell Track and Field. It opened in 2001 and includes track offices, locker rooms, and meeting rooms. The track and field area was used during the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

David X. Marks Tennis Stadium

The David X. Marks Tennis Stadium is one of the most modern collegiate tennis facilities in the country. It has five hard courts and a large scoreboard that lets fans follow matches. The stadium was dedicated in 1973.

Dedeaux Field

Dedeaux Field opened in 1974 and is the home of USC baseball. It has been improved over the years, including a major upgrade before the 2002 season. The field has a natural grass surface and seats 2,500 fans.

Galen Center

The Galen Center opened in 2006 and is the home of USC basketball and volleyball. It has three practice courts, offices, and seats for 10,258 fans.

Johnson Family Golf Practice Facility

The Burell C. Johnson Family practice facility opened in 2000 and is used by the men’s and women’s golf teams for practice. It is located behind Dedeaux Field on the USC campus.

Lyon Center

The 1,500-seat Lyon Center is used for some USC Trojan events and is also the on-campus student recreation center.

McAlister Field

McAlister Field opened in 1998 and is home to the women’s soccer and women’s lacrosse teams. It also hosts the USC men’s and women’s club rugby teams.

Merle Norman Stadium

Merle Norman Stadium opened in 2013 and is the home of the women’s beach volleyball team.

USC Boathouse

The USC Boathouse is the off-campus facility for the USC crew team. It is located at the Los Angeles Harbor.

USC Physical education building

The USC Physical Education building includes the North Gym, which seats 1,000 and was the home of USC volleyball teams until 2006.

Uytengsu Aquatics Center

The Uytengsu Aquatics Center is an outdoor swimming and diving venue on the USC campus. It was originally built for the 1984 Summer Olympics and has hosted many national swimming and diving competitions. The facility was closed, rebuilt, and reopened in 2014.

Athletic directors

The University of Southern California has had several athletic directors over the years. They helped guide the school's sports teams. Some of the athletic directors include Willis O. Hunter, Jess Hill, John McKay, Mike McGee, Mike Garrett, Pat Haden, Lynn Swann, Mike Bohn, and Jennifer Cohen.

Trojan fight songs

Fight On

Main article: Fight On

Fight On is USC’s famous fight song. It plays after big moments in games, like when the team scores. A student named Milo Sweet wrote the music in 1922 for a contest, and it has been popular ever since. People have used the song in movies and other places too.

All Hail

All Hail is USC’s special alma mater song. A student named Al Wesson wrote it in the early 1920s for a campus show. It is played to show school pride.

Conquest

Conquest is another well-known USC song. It plays after every win and after each football score. A famous music composer named Alfred Newman created it for a movie, and USC started using it in 1954. It has become a key part of USC traditions.

Other songs

USC has many other fun songs the band plays during games. Tribute To Troy plays after the team’s defense stops the other team. Fanfare starts the show when the band comes out. All Right Now plays when USC gets a turnover. Another One Bites the Dust plays after USC gets a sack. The William Tell Overture starts the fourth quarter. The Imperial March plays when USC gets a big penalty. Tusk by Fleetwood Mac is played in the fourth quarter with fans cheering. The band also plays Levels by Avicii when the other team gets a big penalty.

Trojans in the Olympics

Many athletes from the USC Trojans have competed in the Olympic Games. From the 1904 Summer Olympics through the 2014 winter games, 422 Trojan athletes have taken part, winning many medals.

USC has more Olympians than any other university in the world. If USC were a country, it would be tied for eighth place in the number of gold medals won. This count includes each USC athlete’s medal individually.