USC Welcomes Limited On-Campus Tailgating On Saturday

LOS ANGELES —The University of Southern California announced this week that limited on-campus tailgating will return Saturday ahead of the Trojans' Pac-12 home opener against Stanford, which kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

Due to COVID-19 concerns, on-campus tailgating was not allowed ahead of the Trojans home opener against San Jose State last week.

In an a letter posted on social media Wednesday, USC athletic director Mike Bohn said tailgating will be back on the University Park campus, but reduced to about 25 percent of a typical game day "in order to safeguard the health and safety of our campus community." Those wishing to tailgate on campus, must sign up as part of the university's tailgating reservation system, Bohn said.

"We will continue to consult with medical experts and assess the public health situation as we make decisions about future game day activities," Bohn said in the announcement.

Bohn said there are no changes to pre-game activities at the Coliseum or Exposition Park, where tailgating opportunities are available.

On August 25, Bohn had announced that the campus would not host tailgating ahead of the home opener "at the recommendation of our medical experts."

In his letter this week, Bohn said that despite allowing some tailgating, a number of campus protocols and access restrictions would remain in place to protect the students, faculty and staff, including.

• There will be no walk-up tailgating.
• There will be no tailgating or set up before 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
• Tailgaters must comply with TrojanCheck, and they will be asked to show proof of attending a permitted tailgate and that they have a valid game ticket.
• All fans will be required to wear face coverings, regardless of vaccination status, at on-campus tailgate activities.

Additionally, students, faculty and staff who need access to campus on Saturday for work, study or classes also must complete TrojanCheck, according to the letter.

Inside the Coliseum, there are no capacity limits, and last week the Trojans had an announced crowd of 54,398 in the 77,500 stadium. A larger crowd will be expected this week.

However, fans inside the stadium, regardless of vaccination status, also will be required to wear face coverings due to an order from the LA County Department of Public Health. The requirement is in place for all events and venues in LA with more than 10,000 people in attendance.

Inside the stadium, face coverings can be briefly removed while actively eating or drinking, according to authorities.