The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is celebrating two Olympic milestones this week: the 87th anniversary of the 1932 Olympics, and the 35th anniversary of the Olympics held here in 1984.

In 1932, the Coliseum served as the venue for the opening and closing ceremonies, and was the primary site for track and field. The total number of attendees at the opening ceremony was 101,022 and it is estimated that over 1.2 million fans from all over the world attended the Games. This was the first Olympics to set up an Olympic Village for the visiting athletes, and also premiered the use of the now common tri-level award ceremony podium.

When Los Angles hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics, the Coliseum became the first stadium to host Summer Olympic Games twice—once again serving as the primary track and field venue and site of the opening and closing ceremonies. It is estimated that over 5.7 million people attended the 1984 games, with more than 80,000 filling the Coliseum for both the opening and closing ceremonies. Interestingly enough, the US Olympic team won 16 Gold Medals in Track and Field in 1984—the exact same number as in the 1932 Olympics held in the same venue!

On September 13^th, 2017, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum made history when it was announced that the City of Los Angeles would host the Summer Olympics in 2028, with the Coliseum hosting the opening and closing ceremonies, and the majority of both men’s and women’s athletics—making it the only stadium in the world to ever host three Summer Olympic games.

To learn more about the history of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, make sure you check out our Historical Timeline.

 

USC Auxiliary Services hosted an exclusive hard-hat tour of the L.A. Memorial Coliseum for its military veteran staff members last week, led by Dan Stimmler (VP of Auxiliary Services and COO of the Coliseum) and Joe Furin (General Manager of the Coliseum). The veterans were able to view areas that have only been accessed by the construction crew, architects, and other officials close to the project.

The Coliseum is a historic landmark and memorial to all who served in the Armed Forces during World War I. Learning about the history of the Coliseum and showcasing the university’s commitment to its restoration and modernization plans allowed our current generation of veterans to experience and connect with the legacy.

Veterans from USC Auxiliary Services who attended this event included:

Derek Callahan
Francesca Lafayette
Gabe Badillo
Gary Champagne
Hector Jimenez
Hernan Salazar
Kris Klinger
Louis Rodriguez
Douglas Lee
Marie Muldrew-Buchanan
Raymond Cook Jr.
and below, Alex Gonzales!

Work has been ramping up at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum over the last few weeks as we get closer and closer to the ribbon cutting on August 15th. With a month until the first Ram’s preseason game, and little under 6 weeks until the USC Trojans start another season at our historic venue, the construction team is working hard to get the Scholarship Club Tower finished and the stadium set up for another exciting football season.

Last week, the grass was laid on the United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and our operations team is working feverishly to get this ready for game day. In a few weeks this will be ready for its first field lining, so look out for those photos coming to our social media accounts soon!

More recently, the club seats have been installed in the suites and loge boxes. Featuring the iconic SC on the front, these seats offer superior comfort and an amazing view. As well as this, many of the finer details are being finished off throughout the tower – including tiling, flooring, cabinetry and furnishings. We can’t wait to share these all with you in the lead up to the opening of the revamped LA Coliseum!

As always, to keep up-to-date with the renovation, follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Or sign up to our mailing list here.

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum has been the venue for any and all sporting events for nearly a century now. Known most for football—both college and pro—a sometimes forgotten sport rich in Coliseum history is soccer, played frequently in the venue for more than 50 years.

Of particular historical significance is Latin American soccer, which has been a feature at the Coliseum almost every year since the 60s. This September, that tradition continues with 2 international friendlies taking place: Argentina vs. Chile on September 5 and Brazil vs. Peru on September 10.

While these opponents have never played each other at the Coliseum, the teams themselves have played nearly 30 times combined – starting in 1964 with Brazil playing England, right through until last year, 2018, when Argentina played Guatemala.

In that time there has been some thrilling games played; in 1999 Argentina set a Coliseum attendance record for an international soccer game (91,585), beating Mexico 1-0. And in 2004 Brazil, 10 years after winning the World Cup in Los Angeles, beat Mexico 2-1 in an exhibition game to honor the retirement of two great players: Jorge Campos and Romario de Souza Faria.

The upcoming games in September will be the first soccer matches to be played in the newly renovated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and all 4 teams are coming off a hotly contested 2019 Copa America; Brazil winning the final against Peru 3-1, and Argentina taking 3^rd place honors in a 2-1 win over Chile, setting up 2 exciting rematches. Get your tickets here!

When people think of the Coliseum Peristyle, they think of the travertine structure you see dominating Expo Park, or the flame flickering above the Olympic cauldron. However, during the Peristyle restoration we uncovered an interesting story about a lesser known feature undergoing refurbishment – the mystery mural.

For years rumors raged about the age and origin of this aging mural; was it from the original construction in 1923? Was it completed for the 1932 Olympics, or is it more recent than that? And who was the artist?

After a little research, it turns out Heinz Rosien painted the mural in 1969 in preparation for Los Angeles’ bid for the 1976 Olympics – a bid that Montreal went on to win, with Los Angeles hosting the 1984 Olympics.

The unique location and shape of the peristyle arch made the original painting of the mural difficult; it is quite high, curved, and unlike most murals it is outside, so lighting and weather conditions all played a part.

The same difficulties were faced by the team from Aneta Zebala Painting Conservation who have been working since March to return the mural to its former glory. We spoke with them just days before they finished the mural restoration about the challenges caused years of exposure to the elements – water damage, heat, sunlight, earthquakes etc.

Below is a before and after of the renewed mural. We think it looks stunning, and we cannot wait to open the doors in August to the revamped Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum so you can see it for yourself!

Field at historic venue will become United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this summer

USC Media Relations, (213) 740-2215 or uscnews@usc.edu

United Airlines Worldwide Media Relations, (872) 825-8640 or media.relations@united.com

LOS ANGELES – The University of Southern California and United Airlines announce a new agreement to name the field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Under this 10-year deal commencing in August 2019, the field at the historic landmark, memorial to World War I veterans and home of the USC Trojans, will be referred to as United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

USC and United worked together to reach an agreement that retains the original venue name while still providing funding to support a $315 million project to restore and preserve the Coliseum and upgrade its facilities for fans, athletes and the community.

“USC is honored to be the caretaker of this Los Angeles treasure and, together with United, we are ensuring the Coliseum’s future as a world-class venue,” said USC interim President Wanda M. Austin. “The naming of the field is a significant step in USC’s efforts to usher in a modern era for this historic landmark and preserve its legacy. Through this process, USC was guided by doing the right thing for the community as we continue to honor our veterans. We look forward to the opening of United Airlines Field within the newly renovated Coliseum this summer.”

“United has a long history in Los Angeles, serving the city for more than 80 years. With so many employees, many of whom are proud veterans themselves, and customers that travel to or call the area home, this sponsorship is a meaningful way to underscore our commitment to California,” said Janet Lamkin, President, California for United Airlines. “We always want to do what is best for the communities in which we operate – and in this case, reaching an agreement which upholds the name of such a respected venue while modernizing it for the benefit of future generations was the right thing to do.”

In addition to the stadium’s renovation, as part of this new agreement USC and United worked together to identify additional ways to honor local veterans including providing support for veterans who attend USC as well as erecting a memorial in honor of veterans at the Coliseum. More details on these initiatives will be shared as the programs are finalized.

“I am pleased that USC and United have come together in a way that will honor the memories of veterans who served in World War I and our broader community of veterans,” said Janice Hahn, president of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. “This agreement ensures that United Airlines remains an important corporate sponsor of the Coliseum renovation project and that the legacy of the Coliseum remains. I am proud that we are moving forward with a shared commitment to veterans.”

About USC
The University of Southern California, founded in 1880, is one of the world’s leading private research universities. An anchor institution in Los Angeles and a global center for arts, technology and international business, USC generates more than $8 billion in economic activity in California each year and is the largest private employer in Los Angeles.

USC has a long and proud history of supporting military service members and veterans, serving as a training school for Army officers during World War I, launching the first master’s of social work dedicated to serving veterans, creating a master’s of business for veterans and last year developing dedicated student housing for veteran students.

About United
United’s shared purpose is “Connecting People. Uniting the World.” We are more focused than ever on our commitment to customers through a series of innovations and improvements designed to help build a great experience: Every customer. Every flight. Every day. Together, United Airlines and United Express operate approximately 4,900 flights a day to 355 airports across five continents. In 2018, United and United Express operated more than 1.7 million flights carrying more than 158 million customers. United is proud to have the world’s most comprehensive route network, including U.S. mainland hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. United operates 779 mainline aircraft and the airline’s United Express carriers operate 569 regional aircraft. United is a founding member of Star Alliance, which provides service to 193 countries via 28 member airlines. For more information, visit united.com, follow @United on Twitter and Instagram or connect on Facebook. The common stock of United’s parent, United Continental Holdings, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol “UAL”.

Image: DLR Group

As the renovation nears completion, we are excited to share some updates with you. The cranes are down, the Scholarship Tower structure is complete, and the construction team is adding the finishing touches to the suites, concession stands, and tower common areas. Over 50% of the new seats are in,  and we can’t wait for you to experience it.

To countdown to the opening, we will be giving you a behind-the-scenes look at the progress – so make sure you are following us @lacoliseum. You can also sign up for updates here.

In the lead up to the ribbon-cutting ceremony, we will be using our social media channels to give you a backstage look at the renovation process. We will be going through the Scholarship Tower, and capturing video and photos of everything from the tower itself, to the finer details and finishes through the building – including suites, concessions, and the 1923 Club.

To stay up-to-date, make sure you follow us @lacoliseum. We will be posting daily stories on Instagram plus other renovation-related content across Facebook and Twitter. You can also stay connected by signing up here.

Did you know there is a live feed of the Coliseum Renovation running 24 hours a day? Watch them install all 74,500 chairs, and keep up to date with the progress of the Scholarship Tower in real-time. View it here.

There is also a time-lapse video that shows the amazing work done by the construction team over the last few years. Download and view it here. And, you can stay up to date with the overall renovation, inside and out, by signing up here.