The USC Trojans (also Southern California Trojans) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. While the men's teams are nicknamed the Trojans, the women's athletic teams are referred to as either the Trojans or Women of Troy (the university officially approves both terms). The program participates in the Big Ten Conference and has won 139 team national championships, 115 of which are National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) national championships. USC's official colors are cardinal and gold.
The Trojans have a cross-town rivalry in several sports with UCLA. However, USC's football rivalry with Notre Dame predates the UCLA rivalry by three years. The Notre Dame rivalry stems mainly from the annual football game played between these two universities and is considered the greatest intersectional rivalry in college football.The Greatest Intersectional Rivalry: Top 10 Moments from Notre Dame-USC, SI.com, October 12, 2005, Accessed March 24, 2009. The Trojans also enjoy a rivalry with the Stanford Cardinal. The USC Trojans are considered one of the most successful college athletic programs.
Overview
The Trojans have won 139 team national championships, 115 of which are NCAA National Championships. This is the third highest count of all universities behind UCLA and Stanford. The Trojan men have won 100 national championships (87 NCAA titles), more than any other university. The Women of Troy have earned 39 national championships (28 NCAA titles), third in the nation. The Trojans won at least 1 national team title in 26 consecutive years (1959–60 to 1984–85). USC won the National College All-Sports Championship an annual ranking by USA Today of the country's top athletic programs – 6 times since its inception in 1971. Trojan men athletes have won more individual NCAA titles (302) than those from any other school in the nation and the Women of Troy have brought home another 55 individual NCAA crowns for a combined 357 individual NCAA championships. Four Trojans have won the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in America: diver Sammy Lee (1953), shot putter Parry O'Brien (1959), swimmer John Naber (1977) and swimmer Janet Evans (1989). Two Trojans have won the Honda-Broderick Cup as the top collegiate woman athlete of the year: Cheryl Miller (1983–84) and Angela Williams (2001–02). And Trojan women have won 8 Honda Awards, as the top female athlete in their sport.
In March 2019 USC fired senior associate athletic director Donna Heinel (charged with receiving more than $1.3 million in bribes to fabricate athletic credentials of over two dozen students seeking admission to USC) and water polo coach Jovan Vavic (charged with receiving $250,000 in bribes) after they were indicted by federal prosecutors in the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. Former women's soccer coach Ali Khosroshahin and former assistant women's soccer coach Laura Janke were also indicted, and charged with racketeering.
Sports teams Baseball Basketball Basketball Beach volleyball Football Cross country Golf Golf Swimming and diving Lacrosse Tennis Rowing Track and field† Soccer Volleyball Swimming and diving Water polo Tennis Track and field† Volleyball Water polo USC sponsors teams in ten men's and thirteen women's NCAA sanctioned sports.
Football
The USC Trojans football program started in 1888 and has amassed an all-time win–loss record of 793–313–54, giving the program a winning percentage. A December 1998 SPORT magazine ranking listed USC as the No. 4 all-time college football program of the 20th century. In 2009 ESPN ranked USC the second best program in college football history.
The USC football team has been voted National Champions 11 times.The NCAA does not conduct a championship for Division I-A football. Instead, teams are awarded championships by various private organizations, currently the recognized championships are awarded by the Associated Press poll and the Bowl Championship Series --however not always in unison. USC is also known for its Heisman Trophy winners. USC has the most Heisman winners at 8. Three of the four Heisman winners from 2002 to 2005 were Trojans - Carson Palmer in 2002, Matt Leinart in 2004 and Reggie Bush in 2005.
Four other Trojans tailbacks have won the coveted Heisman Trophy as college football's outstanding player: Mike Garrett in 1965, O. J. Simpson in 1968, Charles White in 1979 and Marcus Allen in 1981. Also notable, USC has 12 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, more than any other university."Hall of Famers by College", Pro Football Hall of Fame USC's record against opponents from the old Pac-10 is 367–153–29 (.695), and the Trojans have winning records against all nine other members. As of 2017, 501 Trojans have been taken in the NFL draft, more than any other university.
Since 1959, the Trojans have won the conference championship 18 times and tied for the title on 6 other occasions. USC has the nation's best bowl winning percentage (.660) among the 65 schools which have made at least 10 bowl appearances and its 34 Rose Bowl appearances is an all-time best. USC players have been named first team All-American 17 times, with 8 consensus selections and 2 unanimous choices. Football record does "not including 9 overall wins vacated due to NCAA penalty, including 2 vs. UCLA and 1 each vs. WSU, ARIZ, STAN, ORE, CAL, ASU, WASH".2013 USC Trojans Media Guide, University of Southern California, 2013
Baseball
The USC Trojans baseball program has a notable history in baseball: With 12 baseball national championships, the Trojans are far and away the leader in that category (no other school has more than 6). Since starting baseball in 1924, the Trojans have compiled a record of 2,221-1,093-15 (.669) against college opponents, and have captured outright or tied for 38 conference championships. USC's most notable baseball coach was Rod Dedeaux, coaching from 1942 to 1986, who led the school to 11 of its NCAA crowns, including 5 straight from 1970 to 1974.
USC has produced many major league players, including Ron Fairly, Don Buford, Tom Seaver, Dave Kingman, Fred Lynn, Roy Smalley, Steve Kemp, Mark McGwire, Randy Johnson, Bret Boone, Jeff Cirillo, Barry Zito, Geoff Jenkins, Kent Hadley, Aaron Boone, Jacque Jones and Mark Prior. In total, 100 Trojans have gone on to play in the major leagues and scores more in the minors.
Basketball
Men's basketball
The USC Trojans men's basketball program has a long tradition. The men's program is only one of about 48 schools which have more than 1,000 victories in college basketball. Since starting basketball in 1907, the Trojans have compiled a record of 1,357–984 (.580), winning 14 league championships. Recently, the 2007 team set a school record for most wins in a season and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the NCAA tournament. The university recently announced major sanctions over player O. J. Mayo's receipt of improper benefits during the 2007–2008 season. Notably, USC has vacated all regular season wins during that season, dropping their record for the 2007–2008 season to 1-32. In 2021, the Men of Troy made the Elite Eight
Women's basketball
The USC Trojans women's basketball program, after improving steadily, first reached the pinnacle of success in women's basketball in 1983 and the Trojans have been near the top almost ever since, winning national championships in 1983 and 1984 and playing in four Final Fours.
The Women of Troy have made the NCAA tourney 6 of the past 14 years, including advancing to the regionals 3 times. Lisa Leslie, who became an Olympic and pro star, won the Naismith Award in 1994 (she was the MVP of the first WNBA All-Star Game). Tina Thompson was the No. 1 pick in the 1997 WNBA draft. Cynthia Cooper was twice an Olympian and WNBA MVP. In 2009, USC hired Mary Wooley as their assistant coach for women's basketball.
Women's beach volleyball
The USC Trojans women's beach volleyball team, a women-only sport at the collegiate level, first became a varsity sport in the 2012 season (2011–12 school year). At the time, the NCAA considered it an "emerging sport" for women, recognizing it as an official sport but not conducting an official championship.
Through the 2015 season, national championship play was conducted by the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA). The Trojans won an AVCA national team title in 2015, with a USC team claiming the AVCA pairs championship in each of the 2013–2015 seasons.
The NCAA began sponsoring an official national championship in 2016 (only a team competition; no pairs); USC won the inaugural NCAA title and defended the championship in 2017.
The beach volleyball program's only head coach has been Anna Collier, a former three-sport USC athlete (including indoor volleyball) who has posted a career record of 142–15 () through the 2017 season.
Golf
Men's golf Coach Stan Wood (1955–79) compiled a career record of 462–37 (.926) and won 14 conference championships. He also guided the Trojans to an NCAA record 51 consecutive dual match wins from 1956 to 1959. His teams finished third in the NCAA tourney six times. Ron Rhoads, a former USC all-American golfer, coached from 1980 to 1983. Under coach Randy Lein (1984–92), USC continued its success, winning the conference championship in 1986. The 1991 Trojans finished seventh at the NCAAs. Former team captain Jim Empey took over as coach in 1993. Kurt Schuette became coach in 1995 and guided USC to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA tourney that season, Troy's best placing in 18 years, and then ninth in 1996, 14th in both 1997 and 2003 and sixth in 2005. His 2001 squad won the Pac-10 title, USC's first since 1986, and Troy repeated in 2002.
Three USC golfers have won four NCAA individual championships: Scott Simpson in 1976 and 1977, Ron Commans in 1981, and Jamie Lovemark in 2007. Their best team finish is third place in 1958, 1961, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1975, and 2008. The team has won 20 Pac-12 championships: 1962, 1964–1967, 1969, 1971–1973, 1975, 1976 (south division), 1978, 1980, 1984, 1986, 2001–2002, 2007, 2011, and 2018.
1985 U.S. Amateur champion Sam Randolph, who finished as low amateur at the Masters Tournament in 1985 and 1986, was a first-team All-American for the third straight year in 1986 and was named college golf's Player of the Year. Kevin Stadler was the 2002 Pac-10 Golfer of the Year (USC's first honoree since 1986).
Trojan golfers who have found success at the professional level include Al Geiberger (11 PGA Tour wins including 1966 PGA Championship), Brian Henninger (2 PGA Tour wins), John Jacobs (1 Japan Golf Tour win), Bob McCallister (2 PGA Tour wins), Mark Pfeil (1 PGA Tour win), Sam Randolph (1 PGA Tour win), Tony Sills (1 PGA Tour win), Scott Simpson (7 PGA Tour wins including 1987 U.S. Open), Craig Stadler (13 PGA Tour wins including 1982 Masters Tournament), Kevin Stadler (1 PGA Tour win and 1European Tour win), and Dave Stockton (10 PGA Tour wins including 1970 and 1976 PGA Championships).
Women's golf The USC women's golf team's first-ever NCAA team title in 2003, their second in 2008, and their third in 2013. USC also has had second (twice), third, fourth (twice), fifth, seventh (3 times), ninth, 11th, 12th and 14th-place finishes at the NCAA Championships in the past 21 years. The Women of Troy won the Pac-10 tourney in 1989 and the NCAA Regional in 1999 and 2006. Cathy Bright led USC to 5 Top 10 NCAA finishes in her 12 years as head coach (1982–93). Former Trojan player Renee (Mack) Baumgartner returned as head coach in 1994 and led USC to second place at the NCAAs in her first year. Andrea Gaston took over in 1997 (with men's coach Kurt Schuette serving as Director of Golf) and guided USC to 6 NCAA Top 10 finishes, including the 2003 NCAA title. The team has won 8 Pac-12 championships: 1989, 2008, 2011, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021 & 2023.