Students are headed to Las Vegas to support USC football

The Trojans made it to the Pac-12 Championship where they will face Utah in their fourth championship game on Friday at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

With USC advancing to number four in the College Football Playoff rankings, many USC students are making the trek to Las Vegas to support their team and enjoy the last weekend before finals.

For Jack Doss, a junior studying business, attending the game was a no-brainer, especially as the Trojans usher in a new era under Coach Lincoln Riley.

“I got my $150 plane ticket and I’m going in and out [of] Vegas in 14 hours,” Doss said. “We gotta show out for our team and Heisman candidate to get Allegiant rocking.”

After several years of less than stellar performances, the prospect of securing USC’s first Pac-12 win since 2017 — coupled with the potential for star quarterback Caleb Williams to cement his Heisman campaign — has generated buzz around the upcoming game.

“The atmosphere of the game and the entire 24 hours is bound to be sensational,” Avery Bystrom, a sophomore studying environmental studies and cinematic arts, said.

Las Vegas is over 270 miles from Los Angeles but many passionate USC fans have no qualms about traveling to support the team. Blaze Maier, a junior business major, is eager to watch the Trojans secure a spot in the College Football Playoffs.

“The excitement surrounding this team is palpable,” he said. “I can’t wait to get out to Vegas and watch our Trojans rebound off our only loss of the season and stomp all over the Utes.”

USC has something to prove with this particular game. When USC played Utah earlier in the season, Utah managed to triumph with a 43-42 win, USC’s only loss of the season. The Utes hope to achieve back-to-back Pac-12 Championship wins after they secured the title in 2021.

Sophomore Katherine Beagan explained that she was traveling to the game to show her support for the team from the stands.

“I think this is a really special year for USC football because of their successful record which definitely helps to excite students and motivate them to travel with the team and cheer them on,” she said.

While many students are only taking a short day trip for the game, some students are planning to spend the weekend and enjoy all Las Vegas has to offer before finals week. Luckily, Las Vegas has no shortage of attractions for students of all ages to experience.

For students under 21 who are thrill seekers, the SRAT Skypod offers three rides: STRAT’s Insanity, Big Shot and Scream X. These rides are designed to shake, drop and terrify people over 1,000 feet above the Las Vegas Strip.

If you want to enjoy Las Vegas from new heights without an adrenaline rush, the High Roller Ferris Wheel gives participants a 360 view of the Strip and the Las Vegas skyline in glass cabins 550 feet above the ground.

The Strip and Fremont Street allow visitors to experience all the energy, eats and entertainment Las Vegas has to offer with their feet still safely on the ground. Another attraction is Meowulf’s Omega Mart, an immersive psychedelic art experience hidden behind a secret entrance in a fake grocery store.

For USC students over 21, it’s well known that the Strip has no shortage of fun to offer. Many students are looking forward to attending a Martin Garrix performance at the Omnia Nightclub to hopefully celebrate the Trojans’ triumph over Utah. If students are planning to indulge in the gambling capital of the world, they can try their luck at sports betting at the MGM Grand.

Win or lose, Friday is bound to be an unforgettable experience for Trojan fans in Las Vegas.