Tunnel found in The Coliseum shows USC football’s past
The Coliseum has quirks. That’ll happen when a place is almost a century old.
USC’s renovating the venerable LA Memorial Coliseum, complete with incredibly lame corporate branding. But a building that’s close to 100 years old is going to have some secrets in it, and renovators found just that while working on it.
During the Coliseum Renovation Project, construction workers uncovered the old 50-yard-line tunnel. The team ran out of this tunnel until ~1949 when the current end zone tunnel was built. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/b4XjZ485L7
— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) May 21, 2018
I had a chance to visit @lacoliseum today to check the incredible progress of @USC_Athletics Coliseum renovation project. Our contractors have bottomed out 30 ft below the tunnels and will now start building the new scholarship club tower. #FightOn pic.twitter.com/K0LVxMM2Bj
— Steve Lopes (@SteveLopesUSC) April 2, 2018
I’ve always thought USC’s current entrance was an underrated one.
There isn’t much pomp or circumstance involved, but the big curtain’s pretty cool and the massive end zone tunnel’s opening creates a cool effect when the Trojans run down what’s basically a giant cardinal runway.
But according to the old orientation of The Coliseum, USC’s entrance could have been a lot like Michigan’s.
This one is also super cool, showing a cut out of where the tunnel ran (this one via @USCdiglib) pic.twitter.com/DWW2sgeUF1
— Janna Smith (@superjanna) May 22, 2018
The Wolverines enter the field at the 50-yard-line and notably slap the banner on their way through.
The 50-yard-line tunnel won’t be put to use however in the new iteration of the stadium, it’ll go back under this:
When work is complete, the Trojans will run past a gleaming new press box and premium seating area on their way to the field.