USC Trojans | |
---|---|
University | University of Southern California |
Conference |
Pac-12 Conference Mountain Pacific (various) |
NCAA | Division I/FBS |
Athletic director | Lynn Swann |
Location | Los Angeles, California |
Varsity teams | 21 |
Football stadium | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
Basketball arena | Galen Center |
Baseball stadium | Dedeaux Field |
Mascot |
Traveler (official), Tommy Trojan (unofficial), George Tirebiter (previous) |
Nickname | Trojans |
Fight song | Fight On |
Colors | Cardinal and Gold |
Website | www |
The USC Trojans are the athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC), located in Los Angeles, California. 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 Pac-12 Conference and has won 127 team national championships, 104 of which are NCAA National Championships. USC's cross-town rival is UCLA, with whom there is fierce athletic and scholastic competition. However, USC's 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.
USC sponsors teams in ten men's and thirteen women's NCAA sanctioned sports.
The USC Trojans football program started in 1888 and has amassed an all-time win-loss record of 793–313–54, giving the program a .707 winning percentage. A December 1998 SPORT magazine ranking listed USC as the No. 4 all-time college football program of the 20th century. In 2009 ESPN ranked USC the second best program in college football history.
The USC football team has been voted National Champions 11 times. USC is also known for its Heisman Trophy winners. USC is second in Heisman winners at 7. Three of the four Heisman winners from 2002 to 2005 were Trojans - Carson Palmer (now with the Arizona Cardinals) in 2002, Matt Leinart (drafted by the Arizona Cardinals) in 2004 and Reggie Bush in 2005 (now with the Buffalo Bills). Four other Trojans tailbacks have won the coveted Heisman Trophy as college football’s outstanding player: Mike Garrett in 1965, O.J. Simpson in 1968, Charles White in 1979 and Marcus Allen in 1981. Also notable, USC has 12 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, more than any other university. USC's record against opponents from the old Pac-10 is 367–153–29 (.695), and the Trojans have winning records against all nine other members. As of 2017, 501 Trojans have been taken in the NFL Draft, more than any other university.