We’ll start this LA Memorial Coliseum review with the most memorable part of attending a game there–the parking. That’s right, the best experience we had at the home of USC was trying to find a place to park around the stadium.
There are people, mostly cholos, trying to direct you to their parking outside the venue. With all the spots being $20/$30, competition is fierce. The dude we ended up going with personally escorted us to his lot that was roughly half a mile away from where we first saw him. Oh, this guy was on a bicycle and hauled ass to show us where to park.
After the game, all these parking characters were watching the cars while doing helium which is apparently a thing in South Central Los Angeles. Anyway, props to the outstanding customer service from those running independent parking operations outside LA Memorial Coliseum.
So, what about watching the USC Trojans on their home turf? It is not all that special for a number of reasons. On the plus side, LA Memorial Coliseum has awesome architecture, especially after the recent renovations. It looks spectacular. Another bonus for basically being able to walk around the main level without interruption.
Trying to follow the action, on the other hand, is disappointing. You feel miles away from the field. Everything feels distant and remote. Getting anywhere in the stadium is a trek.
These could be forgiven if the atmosphere at LA Memorial Coliseum was engaging. Alas, it is not. Most games are flat, boring affairs with any possible excitement being drained by the band and cheer squad’s insistence on having only two freaking routines. I hope you like hearing the same thing over and over and over again.
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If you’re staying near LAX and want to avoid the worst traffic, park on the westside of the Coliseum around Vermont Street and use surface streets to make your exit as opposed to getting on the 110.
The food and drink options in the stadium are as generic as humanly possible. You’ll find some food trucks on the large concourses. Unfortunately, these are overpriced and underwhelming. There are a few spots to buy a USC trinket, but these are way overcrowded.
LA Memorial Coliseum review score: 5
LA Memorial Coliseum is a nice place from a design standpoint. In some ways, it’s sort of like a museum. However, you don’t hold sporting events in a museum. The stadium just has this rigid, dullness that permeates throughout. You almost expect someone to come out and tell you to stop touching the glass.
Maybe that is because everyone is so far away from the action. You’re outdoors watching a game, but it doesn’t seem like you are at a game. USC’s insistence on maintaining the same boring traditions does not help matters. At the end of the day, you should visit LA Memorial Coliseum at least once. You probably won’t feel compelled to go back, though. This is not a college football cathedral.
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