USC Football is Big Ten Ready on First Day in New Conference

LOS ANGELES--A new era of USC Football begins today in Troy, as the Trojans officially join the Big Ten Conference ready to make an immediate impact, powered by an improved and committed collective, major new facilities projects and a revamped defensive coaching staff.

"Being a member of the Big Ten will enable us to further invest in the student-athlete experience by providing us with additional resources; to create exciting new rivalries with like-minded institutions; to celebrate and share our storied traditions with Trojans across the country and with new generations of fans; and to provide our student-athletes and university with unprecedented national exposure and opportunities," said Director of Athletics Jen Cohen. "Our entire Department has committed time, effort and energy to ensure our Trojans are best positioned to capitalize on these opportunities."

"We're excited to join the Big Ten and ready to compete in the best conference in the country," said head coach Lincoln Riley. "Bringing the USC Football brand coast to coast opens up so many new opportunities for our program. I'm appreciative and grateful to President Folt and the Board of Trustees for doing what USC does best: making big, bold decisions for the benefit of our students and our community."

For USC Football, a key focus heading into the Big Ten era of Trojan Athletics has been maximizing student-athlete NIL opportunities. Partnering with House of Victory – USC's official donor collective dedicated to providing Name, Image, and Likeness opportunities to student-athletes – and powered by the generosity of the Trojan Family, USC Football's NIL support has more than doubled year-over-year, positioning the program in the upper tier nationally respective to collective support.

"Our collective is probably the most improved collective in the country," said Riley. "We can't thank the donors and the staff of HOV enough for their efforts. We feel great about where we are heading into the Big Ten, but NIL continues to evolve, and we have even bigger goals to accomplish. We live and operate in the best market in the country with a passionate and generous fanbase, and we will keep working to improve our NIL efforts to continue to ensure that USC is the place to be for student-athletes who want to build their brands and capitalize on their NIL opportunities."

Another area of continued growth is USC's investment in athletics facilities, which includes the $200 million construction of a new football performance center. The first phase of the project, the addition of a new full-length practice field, was completed earlier this week in time for the start of fall camp. Construction of the three-level football performance center – featuring locker rooms, recovery suites, weight and training rooms, and more best-in-class amenities – will now commence and continue throughout the fall. More than half of the $200 million for the project, set to conclude in 2026, has been raised.

"We're excited to open up our new turf field," Riley said. "We will have the old turf for the duration of fall camp, and then they will rip that up and start building the best college football facility in the country. That construction will be ongoing during the season but won't affect our preparation. Our team has done a tremendous job of planning.

"It's a big-time step for our program."

As the Trojans take the practice field this week in preparation for the 2024 season, the excitement continues to build around the revamped defensive staff. Defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn leads the group after completely transforming UCLA's defense from ranking No. 87 in 2022 to finishing the 2023 season ranked No. 10 in the nation. He'll be supported by linebackers coach Matt Entz (a two-time FCS national championship winning head coach at North Dakota State), secondary coach Doug Belk (Houston's former defensive coordinator and one of the biggest rising stars in college football's coaching landscape), defensive line coach Eric Henderson (a Super Bowl Champion and award-winning former defensive line coach with the Los Angeles Rams) and defensive end coach Shaun Nua (a NFL Super Bowl-winning defensive end with experience coaching in the Big Ten as Michigan's former defensive line coach). This group brings championship experience and NFL pedigree to Riley's coaching staff.

The Trojans gathered Friday morning for the first practice of the fall, with 30 days remaining until the season opener against LSU in Las Vegas and 50 days until opening Big Ten play against Michigan. The energy around the program is palpable, powered by increased support, upgraded facilities, and a talented staff eager to capitalize on every opportunity in a new conference.

"There is so much to be excited about as we enter the Big Ten era of USC Football," said Riley. "We'll have some great matchups in the Coliseum, and we have the support of the best fans in the country behind us. The strength of our fans, our brand and our legacy will be on full display all year long, not just in the Coliseum but in living rooms, on television screens and in conversations all across the country.

"The momentum is undeniable, the progress is undeniable, and we're not slowing down."

University Southern California Trojans

USC Football is Big Ten Ready on First Day in New Conference

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