Felix, Evans and Greg Louganis will ride down Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena on Jan. 1, joining the ranks of Vin Scully, Carl Lewis, Buzz Aldrin and Pele as prominent Rose Parade Grand Marshals.
Felix, the most decorated female track & field Olympian in American history, earned a degree in general studies (elementary education) from USC in 2008. At this summer's Rio Olympics, she earned two gold and one silver medal.
Evans, meanwhile, is one of the greatest female distance swimmers of all time, having earned four Olympic gold medals and a silver. Though she competed collegiately at Stanford, she earned a degree in communication from USC in 1994, while serving as a volunteer coach for the swim team.
The theme of the 2017 Rose Parade is "Echoes of Success," which is intended to tell "the story of how our character has developed through the selfless contributions of others and celebrates their inspirational gifts," according to Tournament of Roses President Brad Ratliff.
In addition to riding in the Rose Parade, the grand marshals traditionally also perform the coin toss before the Rose Bowl Game, which will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Jan. 2, 2017 at the Rose Bowl.
I'm so honored and humbled to be 2017 @RoseParade Grand Marshal alongside Olympic legends @janetevans & @greglouganis! pic.twitter.com/dvxZDyvYft
-- Allyson Felix (@allysonfelix) November 3, 2016
