About the Event

Here are a few tips to make sure you have a great experience:

• Plan ahead and know how you are getting to the Coliseum.  Use navigation and traffic apps such as Waze or Google Maps.
• Parking in Exposition Park is complimentary for USC Commencement Ceremony ticketed guests.
• Rideshare services are located in Exposition Park’s Green Lot. Enter from S. Figueroa St. (right-turn only).
• Thursday Main Ceremony: All gates are open.  Gates open two hours before ceremonies start.
• Get here early.  Review policies, be prepared for metal detector screening and have items clearly displayed in a clear bag.
• Attendees may only enter with a bag that adheres to the USC Clear Bag Policy.
• Cameras are permitted. Balloons, beach balls, confetti and noise making devices will not be permitted
• Arrive at the gates no later than 30 minutes before your ceremony begins.
• There is limited shade at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Parasols will be permitted for personal shade. Sunscreen, hats, and protective sun wear are recommended. Please be aware of weather conditions and plan accordingly.
• The Coliseum is cashless. Only credit/debit cards and mobile pay are accepted.
• Tickets are required for this event.  Please have your ticket ready to scan in your mobile device.

ACCESSIBLE SEATING

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum can accommodate patrons in wheelchairs or with restricted mobility. The Coliseum features multiple areas at Street level that do not require ramps or lifts to access. Situated at a midpoint between field level and the uppermost rows of the Coliseum, these areas can be accessed directly through accessible tunnels, which lead into the seating area of the Coliseum. These locations are situated around most of the circumference of the venue.

People with mobility disabilities who require accessible seating because of their disability will be provided tickets for accessible seats. People with disabilities who do not require the specific features of accessible seating but merely have a preference for them are not entitled to accessible seats. Seating in designated sections will be accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis, based on availability.  ADA tickets can be obtained at our Guest Services booths located inside Gate 4 at Section 109, or inside Gate 23.  For assistance or more information, please contact the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at lamcinfo@usc.edu.

For guests that need additional assistance reaching upper level seats in the Coliseum, escalators are located adjacent to Tunnels 11, and 19. An additional service elevator is located at Tunnel 9 for access to the Upper Concourse.

ACCESSIBLE DROP-OFF AND PICK UP

Drop-off and pick-up for guests with disabilities should be made Exposition Park Drive after entering from South Figueroa at W. 39th Street.  Please be aware drop-off and/or pick-up may be difficult due to heavy traffic and congestion. Due to traffic patterns leaving the park, pick-up in this area may be delayed until traffic can accommodate for access.  Please be patient and follow direction of parking staff.

ACCESSIBLE PARKING

ADA accessible parking is available in Exposition Park’s Pink Lot, Blue Structure and Green Lot.  Marked ADA spaces may not be reserved in advance are subject to availability based on arrival.

ACCESSIBLE ENTRY

All gates have a designated priority accessible entry lane.  Additional assistance will be located at each gate.

CLOSED CAPTIONING

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum provides closed captioning services. The service provides text of all public address announcements during the event. You can access the service from your browser on any smart phone or mobile device. Data rates may apply. To access the service from your mobile device go to www.CaptionedText.com and enter Confirmation: 2650 (for English) at the top of the page. If you need assistance during an event, please text to (213) 263-4007. Data rates may apply.

HEARING AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Assistive listening devices for fans with hearing or visual impairments are available for checkout at Customer Service located in the Coliseum West Administration Building across from Tunnel 11.

SERVICE ANIMALS

Service animals are welcome inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Service animals must remain on a leash or in a harness at all times unless either the handler is unable because of a disability to use a harness, leash, or other tether, or the use of a harness, leash, or other tether would interfere with the service animals safe, effective performance of work or tasks, in which case the service animal must be otherwise under the handler´s control (e.g., voice control, signals, or other effective means). If you intend to bring a service animal to the building, please notify your ticket representative at the time of purchase so that an aisle seat may be reserved for you if available. An animal relief area is provided at Gate 33 in the Olympic Plaza. Guests with service animals are responsible for cleaning up after their animals and for their appropriate behavior toward other guests and Coliseum personnel at all times. A failure to do may result in the animal’s removal from the stadium. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is not responsible for the care or supervision of a service animal.

WHEELCHAIR TRANSPORTS

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is proud to provide assistance inside the stadium for guests with special needs. This service is free and can be requested through Guest Services. Disabled assistance is available upon request at all entry gates. To minimize your wait, we suggest that you make arrangements prior to the event you are attending by calling 213-747-7111 or email lamcinfo@usc.edu. During event hours, please call or text 213 263-4007. So that we may assist multiple guests, please be aware that our staff will not remain with you during the event, and you are not allowed to remain in the wheelchair during the event. In addition, the Coliseum does not rent wheelchairs or crutches.

• Personal belongings such as hats, cell phones, wallets, small clutch purses
• A clear 12”x6”x12” bag; or a one-gallon clear storage bag, limit one per person; and a small clutch bag no larger than 6.5”x4.5”.
• Pre-packaged snack food items in a clear bag for personal consumption
• Cameras (sticks, poles and tri-pods are prohibited)
• Strollers and infant care bags (subject to inspection)
• Reusable, non-metallic water bottles (must be empty upon entry)
• Factory sealed bottles of water, 17 oz. or less, are allowed; limit 2 per person
• Sunscreen and medically necessary items
• Seat cushions without pockets or metal hardware

Cameras and long lenses are allowed for Commencement ceremonies.  Camera cases, tri-pods and selfie-sticks are not allowed.  Please carry your camera in an allowable clear bag or without a case.

For more information on clear bags, please review the USC Bag Policy

Concessions will be available for purchase.   The USC Bookstore will also have locations inside the venue near Tunnels 2, 5, 11, 20 and 24 for a variety of items.

When driving to the venue please carpool with 3 or more people, and plan your travel ahead of time.  Use navigation and traffic apps such as Waze or Google Maps. Please use the following suggested routes:

From the North via the 110 Freeway: Exit Exposition Blvd. –  Turn Left on Flower St. –  Turn Left on Figueroa St. – Follow Signs to Coliseum parking.

From the South via the 110 Freeway: Exit Martin Luther King Blvd. –Follow Signs to Coliseum parking.  The Express Lane exits directly to 39th St. and the entrance to Exposition Park.

From the East via the 10 Freeway: Exit Vermont St. – Turn Left on to Vermont St. – Continue past the USC Campus – Follow Signs to Coliseum parking.

From the West via the 10 Freeway: Exit Vermont St. – Turn Right on to Vermont St. – Continue past the USC Campus – Follow Signs to Coliseum parking.

First aid stations are located inside the venue on the Street Level Concourse adjacent to Gate 1 & 16. Please contact the nearest usher or security officer if medical attention is needed.

All Coliseum entry gates will open on Thursday, May 13 at least 120 minutes prior to start of main ceremony.

All graduating students attending commencement ceremonies are required to reserve tickets for themselves and up to ten named guests. (Children under 2 years of age do not need a ticket to attend.) These tickets are free of charge. All graduates and guests must present a valid ticket in order to enter the ceremony.

All seating is general admission.  There are no reserved seats for guests.

A Help desk will be located outside of Gate 4, 8 & 23.

GRADUATES

For the Main University Ceremony on May 13 – Graduates will enter via the Coliseum field tunnel located at 3960 Bill Robertson Lane or via the Peristyle, Gate 1 or Gate 28. For school line up information please check here. These entrances are strictly for graduates.  Graduates are required to wear academic regalia in order to participate in the ceremony.

All graduates and guests will enter through metal detector screening.  Please have large metal items and cell phones in a clear bag or out of your pockets before entering. Do not remove smaller items such as wallets, keys, coins or belts.

The Coliseum prohibits bags, backpacks and other containers from entering the venue, with the following exceptions:

• One bag that is clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and does not exceed 12” x 6” x 12”, or a one-gallon clear plastic storage bag (Ziploc bag or similar);
• In addition to one of the clear bags noted above, guests may also carry in a small clutch bag or purse approximately the size of a hand, with or without a handle or strap.

Cameras and Parasols (for personal shade) will be allowed.

Balloons, confetti and noise making devices will not be permitted.  For a list of all prohibited items click here.

• Visit My Account to view, download, and transfer your commencement event tickets.
• You must sign in using your USC email address. Follow the prompts to sign in with your password or a one-time code.
• Tickets can be found under “My Upcoming Events.”
• Download the tickets you intend to use (separate tickets required for each day) and transfer to your named guests by entering their name and email or mobile phone. Tickets may not be transferred to another student.
• Each guest will need to accept the transferred ticket and create an account for the transfer to be complete.
• Each ticket is individually barcoded and required for admission.

For detailed instructions on how to download, transfer, and use your tickets, please review our USC Mobile Ticketing Guide.

The USC Ticket Office will be staffing a table in front of the USC Bookstore from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, May 3; Monday, May 6; and Tuesday, May 7, to offer assistance to any graduates who may need help downloading and transferring their tickets.

Other important notes:

To attend commencement events, you and your named guests will need to present the mobile tickets for scanning, so please be sure to bring your mobile device with you. Printed versions of a mobile ticket will not be accepted.

Please download your ticket(s) prior to arriving to campus; on-campus wi-fi service may not be available or limited due to the large crowd.

You must have your ticket scanned when exiting a venue. If you plan to attend more than one ceremony or venue, please make sure you scan your ticket upon exiting a venue. This will ensure your ticket is valid to re-enter at another time. If you are attending events on more than one day, you will need tickets for each separate day.

Please note that events taking place at the Galen Center, Shrine Auditorium, Bing Theater, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and USC Village Great Lawn will have their own ticket – in addition to the USC Campus access ticket you will receive.

For ticket-specific assistance, please contact the USC Ticket Office between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. PST, Monday-Friday at (213) 740-4672 (GOSC) and press 4, or by email uscto@usc.edu. You can also visit the Galen Center Box Office located at the corner of Jefferson and Figueroa.

Parking in Exposition Park is complimentary for USC Commencement Ceremony ticketed guests on, Thursday, May 14; and Friday, May 15. Please have your guest ticket or grad pass ready to show the parking attendant when you enter Exposition Park.  Overnight parking or tailgating is not permitted.

THURSDAY MAY 14

• Park at the Blue Structure. Please enter from S. Figueroa St. and Exposition Park Dr./39th St.
• Park at the Green, Pink or Yellow Lots.  Please enter from 3996 S Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA 90037

FRIDAY MAY 15

• Park at the Green, Pink or Yellow Lots.  Please enter from 3996 S Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA 90037

Rideshare services can drop-off and pick-up located in Exposition Park’s Green Lot (south of BMO Stadium).  Access for rideshare services is from S. Figueroa St. (right turn only).

All persons and their belongings are subject to metal detector screening and bag inspection prior to entering the Coliseum. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to avoid delays. All prohibited items will not be allowed inside.
The following items are NOT ALLOWED:

• Bags, Backpacks or Purses which do not meet Clear Bag policy guidelines. Hard or Soft Coolers, Baskets, Packages or Containers;
• Alcoholic Beverages, Bottles or Cans;
• Illegal Drugs and Weapons including Firearms, Knives, Explosives, Fireworks, Flares, Lighters and Laser Pointers;
• Professional Cameras (lenses longer than 3”) and Camera Equipment, Selfie-Sticks, Tripods and Video or Audio Recording Equipment;
• Banners, Signs, Flags, Sticks, Poles, Inflatables, Frisbees, Balls, and Unsliced Fruits or Vegetables;
• Umbrellas, Balloons, Skateboards and Folding or Beach Chairs;
• Musical instruments or noisemaking devices;
• Pets (Service Animals are allowed);
• USC is a smoke-free environment. Smoking is prohibited in any area of the campus.

Please do not conceal items. Have all items clearly visible inside an approved bag. All bags must meet Clear Bag policy guidelines and are subject to inspection upon entry.

A designated location for rideshare drop-off and pick-up will be available in Exposition Park’s Green Lot.  Enter from S. Figueroa Street (right-turn only) near BMO Stadium.  Enter the Coliseum at Gate 4.  Map