USC athletics broke ground on a new $200 million, state-of-the-art football performance facility that’s scheduled to open in summer 2026, with the goal of bolstering the Trojans as they compete with fellow Big Ten teams.
USC President Carol Folt, Athletics Director Jennifer Cohen and USC Trojans football head coach Lincoln Riley attended the ceremony for the future Bloom Football Performance Center at Howard Jones Field.
The new 160,000 square-foot, three-story Trojans facility includes two full-length practice fields, along with spaces for nutrition, training and recovery. Part of the project includes constructing a golf program practice area and a new stadium for Trojan baseball at Dedeaux Field.
More than 30 contributors have donated money to help meet the project’s $200-million fundraising goal. During the ceremony, it was announced that a $50 million donation came from the Ronald H. Bloom Family. That helps put the goal past 75% funded; the center will bear the Bloom name as a result.
USC athletics board counselor Kathryn Shirley said the facility will help the Trojans be ready for the Big Ten.
“It’s necessary that this Bloom Football Performance Center was built because we do need to compete with the rest of the country,” she said. “We’re entering into a new conference, and we got to do whatever we need to do to make sure that our student athletes are prepared.”
USC athletics associate football operations director Cheryl Taplin said she is thrilled for the support in a groundbreaking moment for Trojan athletics.
“I’m so excited. It’s a long overdue very thankful to the Bloom family, to the Board of Trustees, to everyone here to make it happen,” she said.
Above-ground construction on the center is due to begin in early 2025.
Planned new developments for USC’s athletic programs have drawn some blowback from students, particularly tennis players who earlier this year protested the demolition of tennis courts to make way for development.