For one of the most anticipated cross-town showdown traditions, students gathered at McCarthy Quad for Conquest, in celebration of Rivalry Week for Trojan Football against UCLA. Hosted by the USC Concerts Committee, Conquest featured an evening packed with food, games, spirit rallies and lively musical performances.
Before the music began, students were treated to a spirit rally on stage that brought together Trojan pride in full force. Student dance groups and spirit organizations, as well as the Trojan Marching Band, hyped up the crowd. The rally wasn’t complete without appearances from key USC football figures, including rising star and new starting quarterback Jayden Maiava, who has quickly become a fan favorite. With USC seeking to reclaim the Victory Bell after last year’s loss to UCLA, fans’ hopes were realized just days after Conquest as Maiava and the team brought it home, painting the bell cardinal red once again.
Beyond the stage, students were able to explore various activities, including a lineman obstacle course, a mechanical bull, a decorated school bus for photo ops and a Tilly’s booth with giveaways and a photobooth van. Food trucks lined the venue, serving up chicken and waffles, plant-based burgers, ice cream and boba drinks.
The musical performances kicked off with two Thornton alumni. Singer-songwriter Jensen McRae started the evening with her soulful folk-alternative pop ballads. Taking a moment to connect with the crowd, McRae reflected on her time as a student, sharing that she was once in their shoes. Her heartfelt performance served as a testament to the power of pursuing your dreams and seeing them come to life.
Following McRae was fellow Trojan Sam Short, who brought passion and relatability with her vibrant pop tracks. Between songs, Short charmed the audience with anecdotes that struck a chord, ranging from the universal sting of heartbreak to uniquely USC experiences, like dorming in Birnkrant.
What was probably the most awaited event of the evening was the penultimate act: Nickelodeon star Matt Bennett’s DJ set. Bennett starred as awkward, but endearing, ventriloquist Robbie Shapiro in the hit Nickelodeon show “Victorious.” A beloved character from many USC students’ childhoods, Bennett has since reinvented himself as a DJ, touring around the world with his throwback-inspired Party101. Playing hits from Disney Channel and Nickelodeon shows of the early 2000s-2010s, Bennett’s DJ set was a nostalgic trip back in time.
Bennett’s setlist included “Victorious” classics like “Freak the Freak Out,” “Take a Hint” and “Best Friend’s Brother,” along with early hits by Justin Bieber and One Direction. He even referenced niche pop culture moments for the audience like Flo Rida’s “Whistle” (famously paired with the infamous Josh Hutcherson fan edit) and Rodrick’s cover of “Baby” from “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” Bennett shared a connection with the crowd instantly, sharing that his sister attended USC, before quipping, “USC’s so cool, but for tonight, can we pretend like we’re not here at USC? Can we pretend like we’re all back in high school?” The rest of his set was met with deafening cheers from a college crowd transformed back into their younger selves.
The lead-up to Bennett’s set was just as engaging as the performance itself. The Concerts Committee built anticipation through clever marketing stunts. Drawing inspiration from the “Victorious” episode “Ice Cream for Ke$ha” where the main characters searched for hidden letters in ice cream to win a private Ke$ha concert, the team organized a campus-wide hunt for hidden letters with the prize being a meet-and-greet with Matt Bennett. The Concerts Committee even fashioned their own ice cream (iSCream). Co-Director of Marketing Jonathan Morales was especially excited to take on the challenge of promoting the concert in a new way.
“We tried playing into nostalgia a lot! Conquest is about the school spirit that current students & alumni have, so we thought it’d be perfect to combine that nostalgic feel alumni have with the feeling current students have of childhood,” Morales said. “It helped that Jensen McRae & Sam Short were alumni of USC, drawing everything back to nostalgia.”
Their campaign included a reel posted days before the event featuring Bennett himself channeling his character’s “Robarazzi” persona.
“We loved working with Matt Bennett as he was so open to ideas like filming a video we could post, and other things coming soon,” Morales said.
Closing out the night was Channel Tres with another DJ set, who has been making waves lately opening for Kaytranada in DTLA last October and making a surprise guest appearance at Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival just a couple of weekends ago. Playing a new crowd at USC, the rapper brought a smooth blend of hip-hop, electronic beats and house music that had people grooving until the final moments. He encouraged the audience to face each other and dance with each other, emphasizing that the true show wasn’t happening on stage, but was instead happening within the crowd.
The energy was electric, with students dancing under the open night sky and shrugging off the evening chill in favor of the warmth of shared excitement. It was a tribute to the true spirit of Rivalry Week, which is arguably more about Trojan pride and love than Bruin hate. After Channel Tres wrapped his set, a dazzling wave of cardinal and gold confetti showered over the crowd — a fitting prelude to the celebration that unfolded just days later when the Trojans triumphed over UCLA in the rivalry game.