USC first fielded a football team in 1888. Still known as the Methodists, USC played its first two games against the Alliance Athletic Club, winning 16–0 and 4-0. Frank Suffel and Henry H. Goddard were playing coaches for the first team which was put together by quarterback Arthur Carroll.
USC Trojans – The Name:
Previously known as the Methodists or Wesleyans, which university officials were not fans of, USC’s “Trojans” moniker originated in 1912.
Warren Bovard, director of athletics and son of university president Dr. George Bovard, asked Los Angeles Times sports editor Owen Bird to select an appropriate nickname.
“I came out with an article prior to a showdown between USC and Stanford in which I called attention to the fighting spirit of USC athletes and named them ‘Trojans.’ From then on, people used the term ‘Trojan’ all the time, and it stuck.
“The term ‘Trojan’ as applied to USC means to me that no matter what the situation, what the odds or what the conditions, the competition must be carried on to the end and those who strive must give all they have and never be weary in doing so.”
Conferences:
Pac-12, Pac-10, Pac-8, AAWU and PCC
The Home Field:
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (1923-present); capacity: 93,607
