The crosstown rivalry between USC and UCLA is nothing new to either school, but an early home start time for the Trojans is something fans haven’t experienced in years.
The game will kick off for the 93rd time Saturday at 12:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, marking the first time USC has had a home game start before 1 p.m. since the Trojans’ 9 a.m. start against Arizona State in 2020.
For USC students, it means setting an alarm much earlier than on a typical game day and coming to grips with the reality that the once-high-flying football team isn’t as interesting to national audiences anymore, leading to an earlier start time.
“I was expecting a night game, but since we’re not ranked anymore, I think that plays into it,” said junior Bella Thurman. “I think the excitement of it goes down a little bit just because there’s not as much anticipation.”
Thurman, who is studying acting, said she’s planning on getting up at 8 a.m. to get ready.
“I usually sleep in on game days, but it’ll be an early morning,” Thurman said.
Redshirt senior defensive lineman De’jon Benton said the earlier start doesn’t phase him, and he expects that head coach Lincoln Riley will have the team show up around 9 a.m.
“The early game feels good,” Benton said. “I hope we pack the Coli and everybody enjoys themselves and has a good time.”
USC leads the rivalry 50-33 all-time, and won last year’s matchup at the Rose Bowl 48-45. This year, the game is on USC’s senior day, which brought up lots of emotions for Benton since it may be his last game in a USC uniform.
“We’re only in this space for a certain amount of time, so I want people to come out and enjoy themselves,” Benton said.
Thurman said she was “super surprised” when kickoff was announced for a time slot that wasn’t in the late afternoon or evening.
The earliest home game USC has played this year was on September 2 against Nevada, which started at 3:30 p.m. The Trojans’ earliest game overall was a road matchup against Colorado, which was at 10 a.m. (9 a.m. in Los Angeles).
Junior Krisha Suri, a self-proclaimed “UCLA hater,” thinks that the early start time could be a good thing for fans at both schools.
“People are going to start tailgating at 9 a.m., but I think it prevents a lot of people from building up hatred and anger,” Suri said.
Suri is also part of the Helenes, a group of students who protect the Hecuba statue in the USC Village from possible tampering and pranks by UCLA fans during rivalry week. With 31 hours of protecting the statue already under her belt, she said she is excited to get away from the statue and into the Coliseum for the game — even with scattered showers expected to hit L.A. that day.
“Rain or shine, we’re going to be there, so it doesn’t really matter,” Suri said.