USC Trojans' new $200 million football facility rivals Oregon, Alabama, Georgia?

College football institutions play a crucial role in recruiting and for over a decade it has been a constant race to be one of the best in the country, with programs constantly being updated. USC Trojans President Carol Folt, Athletic Director Jen Cohen and Coach Lincoln Riley will break ground Thursday, Nov. 7, on a brand-new $200 million performance center scheduled to open in the summer of 2026.

“I can’t wait, that was very important to me in the recruiting process,” Riley said back in June. “It was crucial for me to come here because I knew it would be really, really important.

“I think this is the kind of place that should give you the best of the best, and in many ways it does. It is one of the best training courses in the country. It is one of the best places to live. It’s one of the greatest college football stories of all time, and I think we should have a facility that can compete, and we will soon.”

The Trojans opened the $70 million John McKay Center in 2012 and a new facility was long overdue. According to 247Sports, USC was ranked as the No. 29 most impressive facility in the country before the season.

USC's three-story performance center will feature a new locker room, meeting rooms, a naturally lit weight room, a hydrotherapy spa area and player lounges, as well as an outdoor skyline terrace overlooking the new practice field.

“Every day our exceptionally hard-working student-athletes come here to pursue their dreams,” Folt said last June. “We want to provide the facilities and support to make these dreams come true.”

The company tour is an essential part of the recruiting journey. Programs that invest in quality facilities, including state-of-the-art weight rooms, locker rooms and recreation areas demonstrate a commitment to the student-athlete. NIL offers are becoming more of a priority for high school recruits, but innovative facilities are still very impressive and can help a program stand out from the crowd.

Below is a preview of the new home of USC football. BigColle

Student-athletes spend the majority of their time outside of the classroom throughout their college careers. It becomes a second home and in many ways for an athlete playing in Division I track and field, his primary home. It is a place where players can connect with their teammates, where student-athletes complete their classwork to earn their degrees, and a place where they care for their bodies with advanced treatment and nutrition to enhance performance in the Maximize competition.

“As a member of the Big Ten, we can further invest in the student-athlete experience through additional resources,” Cohen said in August.

Elite football programs like Oregon, Georgia and Alabama have stunning facilities and this new performance center will help align the Trojans with their offerings.