‘An authentic L.A. experience’: USC’s upcoming role in the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games

As the world tunes in to watch the best athletes compete at the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games every four years, USC pays a little more attention than most universities. After all, whatever flag they might be competing under at the Games, Olympians who’ve worn cardinal and gold are always well-represented: If USC were its own country, it would rank 14th in all-time medals among today’s recognized countries.

When the Games return to Los Angeles in 2028, the university will not only be center-stage — it will help provide the stage itself, as USC and the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will house major events, including part of the Olympic opening ceremony.

“I am absolutely thrilled that the Olympic Games are returning to Los Angeles for the third time and that we’ll be hosting the Paralympics for the first time in 2028,” said Janet Evans, two-time Olympian and USC alumna. Evans is the chief athlete officer of LA28, the group overseeing the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“As a proud Trojan and Southern California native, it’s truly special to be a part of USC’s Olympic legacy and witness our athletes continue to carry the torch with their representation and success at the Games,” Evans said.

Preparing for LA28

According to LA28, both the L.A. Memorial Coliseum — managed and operated by USC Auxiliary Services — and USC’s Galen Center will host various competitions, the former for track and field and the latter for badminton. Parts of USC’s University Park Campus will also serve as the Olympic Media Village, where all accredited media covering the Games will stay.

“We’ve worked closely with LA28 since the first LA24 Olympics bid, and they’ve always been supportive partners,” said Dan Stimmler, vice president for USC Auxiliary Services, which also oversaw the Coliseum’s recent renovation. “Now that all the preliminary behind-the-scenes details for 2028 are nearly wrapped up, we’re excited and energized about the next critical phase in our amazing partnership with LA28.”

The 2028 Games will mark the first time in Olympics history that no new permanent venues will be built to host the Games. L.A. will use existing venues across the region, with two sports — softball and canoe slalom — being hosted in Oklahoma City.

On the closing day of the Paris Olympic Games, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass also announced plans for the 2028 Games to be “car-free” to help keep traffic manageable — a task that LA28 has collaborated on with USC.

An L.A. touch

USC’s partnership with LA28 extends beyond facilities and transportation. Earlier this summer, LA28 announced a collaboration with the USC Race and Equity Center to design a series of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging workshops ahead of the Games.

“It’s no secret that massive amounts of people are going to come here to experience the Games,” said Justin Morrow, head of sports programs and partnerships with the USC Race and Equity Center. “We’ve helped LA28 think through their transportation policy and how they can partner with local and city and state government to grow public transportation.”

The center has also designed the LA28 Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Leadership Acceleration Academy, a program created to facilitate meaningful dialogue among the Games’ organizers, planners, employees and athletes. Through the program, Morrow hopes LA28 team members will understand what it means to deliver an Olympic Games that reflects a truly multicultural city and country.

“We’ve helped the people at LA28 think through a lot of different ways that the 2028 Olympic Games can have a positive impact for all the people living in Los Angeles,” Morrow said.

Part of that work involves community outreach before the Games to ensure that the many communities in L.A. have input on the Games and how the world sees their city.

“It’s about getting out into the community with people that live in different areas of the city, different ethnic groups, different sporting groups, and talking to them,” Morrow said. “We want to know what would make this feel like a really authentic Los Angeles experience.”

Evans said she’s looking forward to working closely with her alma mater to help create a Games unique to L.A.

“Equipped with the lessons and feedback we’re collecting from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we’re more excited than ever to create an extraordinary experience for our athletes, community, partners and fans in 2028,” she said.