The USC Trojans football schedule for 2026 includes 12 games with seven home contests at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and five road games across the Big Ten Conference.
The season opens with a Week Zero matchup on Saturday, August 29, 2026, in Los Angeles and concludes with the rivalry game against UCLA on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.
USC enters its third season as a Big Ten Conference member after joining in 2024 alongside UCLA, Oregon, and Washington. The Trojans face a challenging slate featuring home games against Ohio State on Saturday, October 31, 2026, Oregon on Saturday, September 26, 2026, and Washington on Saturday, October 3, 2026.
Road tests include trips to Penn State on Saturday, October 10, 2026, Wisconsin on Saturday, October 24, 2026, and Indiana on Saturday, November 14, 2026.
Head coach Lincoln Riley enters his fifth season with pressure mounting after signing the nation’s number one 2026 recruiting class. The schedule features two bye weeks—Saturday, October 17, 2026, and Saturday, November 7, 2026—making USC the only Big Ten team granted dual bye weeks for the 2026 season.
Table of Contents
2026 USC Football Schedule: Full Season Breakdown
The USC Trojans football schedule comprises nine Big Ten Conference games and three non-conference matchups. Home games take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a 77,500-seat venue that underwent a $315 million renovation completed in 2019.
| Date | Opponent | Location | Game Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, August 29, 2026 | TBD | Los Angeles, California | Week Zero |
| Saturday, September 5, 2026 | Fresno State | Los Angeles, California | Non-Conference |
| Saturday, September 12, 2026 | Louisiana | Los Angeles, California | Non-Conference |
| Saturday, September 19, 2026 | at Rutgers | Piscataway, New Jersey | Big Ten |
| Saturday, September 26, 2026 | Oregon | Los Angeles, California | Big Ten |
| Saturday, October 3, 2026 | Washington | Los Angeles, California | Big Ten |
| Saturday, October 10, 2026 | at Penn State | University Park, Pennsylvania | Big Ten |
| Saturday, October 17, 2026 | BYE WEEK | — | — |
| Saturday, October 24, 2026 | at Wisconsin | Madison, Wisconsin | Big Ten |
| Saturday, October 31, 2026 | Ohio State | Los Angeles, California | Big Ten |
| Saturday, November 7, 2026 | BYE WEEK | — | — |
| Saturday, November 14, 2026 | at Indiana | Bloomington, Indiana | Big Ten |
| Saturday, November 21, 2026 | Maryland | Los Angeles, California | Big Ten |
| Saturday, November 28, 2026 | at UCLA | Pasadena, California | Big Ten Rivalry |
The schedule includes seven home games and five away games. Kickoff times and television broadcast assignments remain to be announced as of February 2026.
USC Football Home Games 2026
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum hosts seven USC Trojans home games during the 2026 season, starting with the Week Zero opener on Saturday, August 29, 2026. The venue, located in Exposition Park, has served as USC’s home stadium since 1923 and is the only facility to host three Olympic Games—1932, 1984, and 2028.
Week Zero Opener at the Coliseum
USC opens the season on Saturday, August 29, 2026, against a to-be-determined opponent. The Week Zero designation allows teams participating in games involving Hawaii or playing at Hawaii to start one week before the traditional Labor Day weekend opening. The Big Ten Conference granted USC this early start date, though the specific opponent has not been announced.
Non-Conference Home Matchups
Fresno State visits the Coliseum on Saturday, September 5, 2026, marking a regional rivalry between the Trojans and Bulldogs. Fresno State competes in the Mountain West Conference and has faced USC 31 times historically.
Louisiana (Ragin’ Cajuns) travels to Los Angeles on Saturday, September 12, 2026, representing the first meeting between the two programs. Louisiana competes in the Sun Belt Conference and added this game to USC’s schedule in December 2025.
Big Ten Conference Home Games
Oregon plays at the Coliseum on Saturday, September 26, 2026, in a former Pac-12 rivalry that continues in Big Ten play. USC holds a 50-34 all-time series lead over the Ducks.
Washington faces USC on Saturday, October 3, 2026, maintaining another West Coast Big Ten matchup at the Coliseum.
Ohio State arrives on Saturday, October 31, 2026, for a Halloween night showdown. The Buckeyes represent one of the Big Ten’s premier programs with national championship aspirations annually.
Maryland closes the home schedule on Saturday, November 21, 2026, giving USC fans a final opportunity to watch the Trojans at the Coliseum before the season finale at UCLA.
USC Football Away Games 2026
The Trojans play five road games in 2026, with four occurring in Big Ten Conference stadiums across the eastern and midwestern United States. The geographic spread presents travel challenges for a West Coast-based program.
First Road Trip to Rutgers
USC travels to Piscataway, New Jersey, on Saturday, September 19, 2026, for the first game ever played at SHI Stadium against Rutgers. The venue opened in 1994 and underwent expansions to reach its current 52,454-seat capacity. This marks USC’s inaugural visit to the facility as a Big Ten member.
Penn State at Beaver Stadium
The Trojans visit University Park, Pennsylvania, on Saturday, October 10, 2026, for a matchup at Beaver Stadium. Penn State’s home venue seats 106,572 spectators, making it the second-largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere. USC last played at Beaver Stadium in 1994, creating a 32-year gap between visits.
Late October in Wisconsin
USC plays at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin, on Saturday, October 24, 2026. The 80,321-seat venue represents one of college football’s most challenging road environments, particularly late in the season when temperatures drop significantly.
Road Game Against 2025 National Champion Indiana
Indiana hosts USC on Saturday, November 14, 2026, in Bloomington at Memorial Stadium. The Hoosiers won the 2025 national championship, elevating this matchup’s significance. Memorial Stadium holds 57,236 fans and presents a test against a program riding championship momentum.
UCLA Rivalry at Rose Bowl
The Victory Bell rivalry concludes the regular season on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. UCLA holds a 51-40-7 all-time series advantage. The Rose Bowl seats 89,702 spectators and alternates as the host venue for this annual rivalry based on odd and even years.
Big Ten Conference Schedule Structure for USC
The Big Ten Conference operates a nine-game conference schedule format for the 2026 season, with USC playing eight conference opponents plus the annual UCLA rivalry game that counts toward conference standings.
Unbalanced Schedule Format
USC does not play every Big Ten team in 2026. The conference utilizes an unbalanced scheduling model where each team faces a predetermined set of conference opponents rather than a full round-robin format. This structure accommodates the expanded 18-team Big Ten lineup following the addition of USC, UCLA, Oregon, and Washington in 2024.
Two Bye Weeks Strategic Placement
USC receives two bye weeks during the 2026 season—Saturday, October 17, 2026, and Saturday, November 7, 2026—making the Trojans the only Big Ten program granted dual bye weeks. The first bye follows the Penn State road game and precedes the Wisconsin trip. The second bye occurs between the Ohio State home game and the Indiana road matchup.
The dual bye structure provides USC additional recovery time and preparation windows compared to other Big Ten programs. This scheduling accommodation acknowledges the geographic challenges of West Coast teams traveling to eastern and midwestern venues.
Notable Opponents and Matchup Analysis
Ohio State Halloween Showdown
Ohio State visits the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Saturday, October 31, 2026, creating a Halloween night primetime opportunity. The Buckeyes consistently rank among college football’s top programs, having won multiple national championships under various head coaches. This game carries significant College Football Playoff implications for both teams.
Ohio State brings one of the nation’s strongest recruiting pipelines and historically dominant Big Ten records. The Halloween timing suggests a nighttime kickoff that will draw national television viewership.
Oregon Big Ten Opener at Coliseum
Oregon plays USC on Saturday, September 26, 2026, representing the Big Ten home opener for the Trojans. The Ducks and Trojans competed as Pac-12 rivals for decades before both joined the Big Ten in 2024. USC leads the all-time series 50-34, though Oregon has won recent matchups consistently.
This game determines early Big Ten positioning and continues a rivalry that dates to 1915. Oregon’s high-tempo offense under its current coaching staff presents defensive challenges for USC.
Penn State Road Test
The trip to Penn State on Saturday, October 10, 2026, represents USC’s first game at Beaver Stadium since 1994. Penn State ranks among the Big Ten’s elite programs with strong home-field advantages. The 106,572-seat stadium creates an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams.
Penn State’s geographic location in central Pennsylvania presents logistical challenges for USC traveling from the West Coast. The Trojans must prepare for potential weather complications in mid-October.
Indiana After National Championship
Indiana enters the 2026 season as the defending 2025 national champion, elevating the November 14, 2026, matchup in Bloomington. The Hoosiers’ championship run marks a historic achievement for a program that has rarely competed for Big Ten titles.
USC faces a motivated Indiana team playing with championship confidence and returning talent from the title-winning roster. Memorial Stadium will provide a hostile environment for the Trojans late in the season.
Non-Conference Games Analysis
Fresno State Regional Matchup
Fresno State plays USC on Saturday, September 5, 2026, continuing a series between programs separated by 210 miles. The Bulldogs compete in the Mountain West Conference and have produced competitive games against Pac-12 and Big Ten opponents.
Fresno State’s offensive schemes under head coach Jeff Tedford historically feature pro-style quarterbacks and balanced attacks. The Bulldogs provide a quality non-conference test early in the season.
Louisiana First-Ever Meeting
Louisiana (Ragin’ Cajuns) faces USC on Saturday, September 12, 2026, marking the inaugural matchup between the programs. Louisiana announced this addition to the schedule in December 2025, filling a non-conference opening.
The Ragin’ Cajuns compete in the Sun Belt Conference and have won multiple conference championships in recent years. Louisiana brings a physical running game and disciplined defensive approach to the Coliseum.
Week Zero Opponent To Be Determined
The Saturday, August 29, 2026, Week Zero opponent remains unannounced as of February 2026. Week Zero typically features teams playing at Hawaii or against Hawaii, allowing them to schedule a 13th game due to travel considerations. USC must identify an eligible opponent willing to open the season one week before traditional Labor Day weekend kickoffs.
Lincoln Riley and USC Coaching Staff 2026
Lincoln Riley enters his fifth season as USC head coach in 2026 with heightened expectations following the recruitment of the nation’s number one-ranked 2026 recruiting class. Riley holds a 34-17 record at USC through four seasons after arriving from Oklahoma in November 2021.
Defensive Coordinator Gary Patterson
Gary Patterson joins the USC coaching staff as defensive coordinator for 2026 after a Hall of Fame career at TCU. Patterson built his reputation developing the 4-2-5 defensive scheme that emphasizes speed and versatility. His hire addresses defensive struggles that have plagued USC during Riley’s tenure.
Patterson’s scheme transitions from TCU’s hybrid approach to the Big Ten’s physical style. The coordinator must adapt his system to counter the power running games prevalent in Big Ten play.
Quarterback Jayden Maiava Returns
Jayden Maiava returns as USC’s starting quarterback for 2026 after leading the Big Ten in passing yards during 2025. Maiava’s development under Riley’s offensive system makes him a potential 2026 Heisman Trophy candidate. The quarterback’s ability to execute Riley’s high-tempo passing concepts determines USC’s offensive ceiling.
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Venue Information
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum seats 77,500 spectators following the 2018-2019 renovation that reduced capacity from 93,000. The $315 million project modernized amenities while preserving the stadium’s historic architecture dating to 1923.
Stadium Access and Transportation
The Coliseum sits in Exposition Park, accessible via the Los Angeles Metro Expo Line to Expo Park/USC Station. Parking lots surrounding the venue offer limited on-site spaces, with off-site lots requiring shuttle service or walking distances exceeding half a mile.
Public transportation provides the most efficient access method, particularly for games against marquee opponents like Ohio State that sell out the venue. The Metro system connects downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and other neighborhoods to the Expo Park/USC Station within walking distance of the Coliseum.
Seating Configuration and Sightlines
The renovation created premium seating sections, including club levels and suites, while maintaining the classic bowl design. Lower bowl seats between the 30-yard lines offer optimal sightlines, while upper bowl sections provide elevated views of the field. The peristyle end features the iconic Olympic torch and creates a distinctive backdrop for the south end zone.
USC Football Tickets 2026
USC season tickets for 2026 range from $65 to $150 per game, depending on seat location and membership tier. Single-game tickets become available through the USC Athletics ticket office after season ticket holders complete their selections, typically during the summer months.
Premium Game Pricing
Games against Ohio State, Oregon, and UCLA command premium pricing above standard conference matchups. The Ohio State Halloween game on Saturday, October 31, 2026, will likely exceed $200 per ticket on the secondary market due to national championship implications and primetime exposure.
Student Ticket Allocation
USC students access discounted tickets through the student section allocation process managed by the university. Student tickets provide general admission seating in designated sections, typically the end zone areas of the Coliseum.
USC Football Bowl Eligibility and Playoff Outlook 2026
The 12-team College Football Playoff format determines national championship participants through automatic qualifiers for the five highest-ranked conference champions plus seven at-large selections. USC must finish in the top tier of Big Ten standings to secure either an automatic bid or an at-large invitation.
Strength of Schedule Impact
USC’s schedule features multiple ranked opponents, including Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, and Indiana. The strength of schedule rating influences the College Football Playoff selection committee evaluations when comparing teams with identical records.
The dual bye weeks provide recovery advantages, while the four road games in a five-week stretch from October 10 to November 14 present consecutive challenges. USC must navigate this difficult period to maintain playoff positioning.
Bowl Game Scenarios
Teams achieving six wins become bowl eligible. USC’s schedule provides opportunities to reach bowl eligibility before the UCLA rivalry game, though the challenging Big Ten slate requires consistent performance throughout the season.
Historical Context: USC in the Big Ten Conference
USC joined the Big Ten Conference in 2024 as part of a historic expansion that added four West Coast programs. The 137-year USC football program with 11 national championships enters its third Big Ten season, adapting to eastern and midwestern travel demands.
Pac-12 to Big Ten Transition
The Trojans competed in the Pac-12 Conference (and its predecessors) from 1922 to 2023 before accepting the Big Ten invitation. The conference change required cultural adjustments, including different officiating crews, travel schedules spanning multiple time zones, and competition against programs with distinct playing styles.
Big Ten football emphasizes physical line play and defensive schemes designed for cold-weather conditions. USC’s offense under Lincoln Riley brings a spread passing attack that contrasts with traditional Big Ten power running approaches.
Notre Dame Rivalry Hiatus
USC and Notre Dame do not play in 2026, ending a 78-year continuous series. The programs failed to reach scheduling agreements accommodating both teams’ conference obligations and non-conference preferences. The rivalry’s absence removes a traditional late-November matchup from USC’s calendar.
Victory Bell Rivalry with UCLA
The Victory Bell trophy determines the winner of the annual USC-UCLA rivalry game played on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at the Rose Bowl. UCLA holds a 51-40-7 all-time series advantage through the 2025 season.
Rose Bowl Venue Rotation
The rivalry alternates between the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena based on odd and even years. UCLA hosts even-year games at the Rose Bowl, while USC hosts odd-year matchups at the Coliseum. The 2026 game follows this rotation pattern with UCLA as the host.
Big Ten Conference Implications
Both USC and UCLA count the Victory Bell game toward Big Ten Conference standings, making the rivalry outcome significant for division positioning and bowl selections. The late-season timing on Saturday, November 28, 2026, potentially determines playoff seeding or bowl game destinations.
Recruiting Impact: Number One Ranked 2026 Class
USC signed the nation’s number one-ranked 2026 recruiting class under Lincoln Riley’s leadership, bringing heightened expectations for immediate results. The recruiting success demonstrates USC’s ability to attract elite talent despite Big Ten travel challenges and recent on-field struggles.
Bloom Football Performance Center Opening
The $200 million Bloom Football Performance Center will open in summer 2026, providing state-of-the-art training facilities for the program. The 145,000-square-foot facility includes weight rooms, meeting spaces, sports medicine areas, and player lounges designed to rival any college football training environment.
The Bloom Center’s completion addresses facility deficiencies that limited USC’s competitiveness against Big Ten programs with modern training complexes. The timing coincides with the 2026 season, giving the top-ranked recruiting class immediate access to elite resources.
Television Broadcast and Streaming Information
Kickoff times and television assignments for the 2026 USC football schedule remain unannounced as of February 2026. Big Ten Conference media rights agreements with Fox, CBS, NBC, and their associated streaming platforms (Peacock, Paramount+) determine broadcast assignments.
Big Ten Media Windows
Fox holds primary broadcasting rights for Big Ten noon Eastern Time (9:00 AM Pacific Time) games, while CBS and NBC schedule afternoon and primetime windows. Peacock streams select games exclusively, requiring subscription access for viewers.
Games against Ohio State, Oregon, and Penn State will likely receive primetime Saturday night slots due to national championship implications. The Halloween matchup with Ohio State on Saturday, October 31, 2026, presents a natural primetime opportunity for Fox or NBC.
Frequently Asked Questions About USC Football Schedule 2026
When does USC football season start in 2026?
The USC football season starts on Saturday, August 29, 2026, with a Week Zero home game against a to-be-determined opponent at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
How many home games does USC have in 2026?
USC has seven home games in 2026 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, including matchups against Ohio State, Oregon, Washington, Maryland, Fresno State, Louisiana, and a Week Zero opponent.
Does USC play Notre Dame in 2026?
USC does not play Notre Dame in 2026, ending a 78-year continuous series between the programs due to scheduling conflicts.
What is USC’s biggest game in 2026?
The Ohio State game on Saturday, October 31, 2026, at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum represents USC’s biggest game, featuring two programs with national championship aspirations on Halloween night.
Where does USC play UCLA in 2026?
USC plays at UCLA on Saturday, November 28, 2026, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, following the rivalry’s venue rotation schedule.
How many Big Ten games does USC play in 2026?
USC plays nine Big Ten Conference games in 2026, including eight conference opponents plus the annual UCLA rivalry game that counts toward conference standings.
When are USC football tickets available for 2026?
USC football season tickets for 2026 are available through the USC Athletics ticket office, with single-game tickets released after season ticket holder selections are finalized during the summer of 2026.
