Basketball at USC
I wouldn’t describe myself as a sports fan.
I didn’t grow up memorizing college stats or planning visits to local games. But being at the University of Southern California has a way of pulling you into moments of collective excitement and pride. Somewhere between walking across campus with friends and stepping into the roar of the arena, I realized something: you don’t have to start as a sports fan to feel the Trojan spirit; you just have to show up.
One great perk of being a USC student is that they receive free entry to most Trojan athletics regular-season home games. (Football is the one exception.)
On game days, you’ll see groups of students streaming down Trousdale Parkway, dawning their USC gear. But don’t worry if you don’t have any Trojan merch yet; there are almost always giveaways.
Students know that showing up early often means scoring something memorable: rally towels, limited-edition USC shirts, hats, posters or even themed gear celebrating a big matchup. Some of those shirts quickly become part of your everyday rotation. Others become souvenirs from a night when you and your friends decided to head to a game together.
What makes the experience even more powerful is knowing the history behind it.
USC basketball carries a legacy of excellence within USC Trojans athletics. The women’s basketball team captured back-to-back NCAA national championships in 1983 and 1984, led by Trojan legend Cheryl Miller. Lisa Leslie, a Gardena native, is an eight-time WNBA All-Star and a three-time WNBA Most Valuable Player. She was named the consensus National Player of the Year, a Kodak All-American and Naismith Trophy winner in her USC career. Those teams helped shape the national landscape of women’s college basketball and remain a proud chapter of USC’s athletic history.
Men’s basketball has its own proud tradition as well, producing NBA talent and thrilling moments that bring the Trojan Family together inside the Galen Center. Since the program’s inception in 1907, USC holds a 1,729-1,280 record and has won 14 conference championships, powered by 22 All-Americans and legends like alumni Bill Sharman and Paul Westphal. Seven Trojans have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, reflecting the program’s lasting impact on the sport.
But what’s special is that these accomplishments aren’t a distant part of history. They’re part of the living culture of USC athletics, something you feel when the crowd stands for a fast break or when the student section erupts after a clutch shot.
Even if you arrive knowing very little about basketball, the traditions quickly pull you in.
The legendary Spirit of Troy fills the arena with music, and the crowd cheers with unmistakable Trojan pride.
And of course, you’ll hear the two words that define USC spirit:
Fight On.
What surprised me most is that the magic of USC basketball isn’t just about the final score.
It’s about the experience, walking to the arena with friends, cheering alongside thousands of other students, and realizing that you’re part of a university where excellence in athletics, academics, and community is something people truly rally around.
Fight On!
Written by: Rosa Garcia Rios, Assistant Director – USC Office of Undergraduate Admission