New Rawlinson Stadium set to be home of USC women’s soccer and lacrosse

USC women’s soccer and lacrosse programs will have their own state-of-the-art stadium to call home in 2025 upon the completion of Rawlinson Stadium, thanks to a $10 million gift from the Fritz B. Burns Foundation.

“Rawlinson Stadium will be the place for the Women of Troy to dazzle us with their athletic prowess even more,” USC President Carol L. Folt said. “I love making this announcement during a milestone year: the 50th anniversary of Title IX. USC’s commitment to women in sports is stronger than ever.”

USC’s commitment to women in sports is stronger than ever.

Carol L. Folt, USC president

The $38 million project, which will begin by the end of the year, replaces and expands upon Soni McAlister Field, the current home of USC women’s lacrosse and soccer.

The new stadium is part of Folt’s moonshot for athletics — a major effort to prioritize university excellence in athletics with upgraded facilities, support and philanthropy that will cut across a variety of sports programs. Folt has long focused on improvements for student-athletes, including moving their health care to the Keck Medicine of USC system, expanding financial aid and ensuring academic support — all aimed at a student-centric approach for athletes. The soccer/lacrosse stadium announcement comes after such high-profile events as the naming of Allyson Felix Field and the Colich Track and Field Center that houses a team meeting room, a Hall of Fame, coaches’ offices and locker rooms.

Rawlinson Stadium will feature an elite natural grass playing surface with a total capacity of 2,500 — including spectator viewing decks and social spaces, a state-of-the-art press box, spectator restrooms, a box office, concession stands and a formal entry plaza.

The stadium is named after the family of prominent Los Angeles philanthropist Joseph Rawlinson. He was close friends with fellow L.A. philanthropist and homebuilder Fritz B. Burns, whose namesake charity organization is now run by members of the Rawlinson family.

Both Rawlinson and Burns were active throughout their lives and were avid swimmers and tennis players, said Rawlinson’s son Rex Rawlinson, a 1970 graduate of the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Rex Rawlinson — who became president of the Fritz B. Burns Foundation in 2011 — met Burns as a young boy, long before Burns left care of his organization to Rawlinson and other friends and business associates that he affectionately called “The Good Guys.” The family and foundation hope the new stadium will provide fun and inspiration to those who love sports as much as Rawlinson and Burns did.

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The Fritz B. Burns Foundation has been a longtime benefactor of USC Athletics, most notably supporting the tennis program — Center Court and Court No. 2 at USC’s Marks Tennis Stadium are named after Burns — as well as the Track and Field Hall of Fame.

“Due to its top-notch and varied programs, USC has an important place in many résumés,” Rex Rawlinson said. “Its athletic endeavors inspire those seeking championships in academics as well.”

Rawlinson Stadium: Team spaces, LED video board and more

Rawlinson Stadium will also have new, dedicated locker rooms for the soccer and lacrosse teams, as well as a team meeting area, sports medicine space, nutrition fueling bar and a meeting space for coaches. The field itself will feature an LED video board, stadiumwide audio system and field lights.

USC women’s lacrosse head coach Lindsey Munday — who earlier this year led the team to its second-ever Pac-12 conference title — said the announcement of the new facility comes at the perfect time as USC prepares to enter the Big Ten Conference.

“The USC lacrosse program is beyond excited about breaking ground on a new stadium,” Munday said. “We are extremely grateful for the support from the athletics department to ensure that our players have a state-of-the-art facility to train and compete in.”

I feel honored to be able to represent USC in this new complex and see the strong Trojan Family fill the stands.

Catherine Lord, USC lacrosse player

Catherine Lord, a rising junior midfielder on the USC women’s lacrosse team, said she is excited not only for her teammates and the program, but for Trojan fans as well.

“Being able to compete at such a high level has always felt like a gift to me, and I feel honored to be able to represent USC in this new complex and see the strong Trojan Family fill the stands,” Lord said.

Soni McAlister Field opened in 1998 and has a capacity of only about 1,000 spectators, but that smaller stadium is not an indication of the level of play on the field. Women’s soccer has two national championships, and despite only playing for the past decade, the women’s lacrosse team has already been to five NCAA tournaments.

Rawlinson Stadium: Planned to be among best in the country

USC women’s soccer head coach Jane Alukonis said that along with the continued success, she is excited that the team will soon play in one of the best and most modern stadiums in the country.

“It will be an incredible place for our student-athletes to showcase their talents and their ‘fight on’ mentality,” Alukonis said. “Thank you so much to the generous donors who are making this stadium come to life.”

I am so excited to hear we are investing in women for generations to come.

Simone Jackson, USC soccer player

For rising junior forward Simone Jackson, having the announcement soon after Women’s History Month is the perfect way to show the university’s support for women’s athletics.

“I am so excited to hear we are investing in women for generations to come,” Jackson said. “I am beyond proud to be a part of this time, and I hope to inspire many more girls when my team plays on a field made just for the Women of Troy.”