Players Mentioned
The State of Troy | Nov. 27: Giving Thanks To The Trojan Family
November 27, 2024 | Football, USC Athletics, Men's Water Polo, Women's Basketball, Women's Soccer
Trojan Family,
There is no month like November in college athletics. Fall sports are in full force, winter competitions are underway, and the planning, preparation, and training for spring programs is only increasing. Our student-athletes are hard at work, and their competitive spirit – in the classroom, in competition, and across the community – continues to inspire us all. All the while, our entire staff is hard at work supporting their efforts, and I am so grateful for their commitment to USC Athletics.
With Thanksgiving upon us, I wanted to share some of the things I am most thankful for in this edition of The State of Troy. While every day in college athletics brings new challenges, it's important for us to reflect on our wins, align in our shared purpose – to serve as the unmatched, unquestioned place to be for student-athletes to reach their fullest potential in all that they do – and remember how blessed we are to support our student-athletes, celebrate our traditions, and connect with our community.
Here is what I am thankful for this year:
The Generosity and Togetherness of the Trojan Family
Earlier this month, we celebrated the groundbreaking of the Bloom Football Performance Center, named following an incredible gift of $50 million from the Ronald H. Bloom family. To date, five Cornerstone gifts of $10 million or more have lifted the fundraising total for the Athletics West projects to $157 million of our $225 million goal.
These generous contributions include gifts from more than 30 donors, including the Bloom Family, the Argyros Family Foundation, Robert and Perri Bishop, Chad and Cari Peets, and other generous Trojans.
I also want to thank House of Victory for continuing to help our student-athletes maximize their NIL opportunities. The NIL space shifts and evolves daily, making headlines and creating confusion externally, but having a robust, well-run, and aligned collective is a competitive advantage for USC. The stakes are high to adapt and grow in the NIL era, which is why we are so grateful to everyone who has helped HoV and why your support in this area remains incredibly impactful.
Philanthropic giving is the lifeblood of college athletics, and I am always moved by the generosity of the Trojan Family. What inspires me most is how passionate all our supporters are about USC Athletics and, specifically, its ability to transform the lives of our student-athletes and bring our families and communities together around a common cause.
Our work in this space is far from finished. We will need to raise an additional $68 million to reach our fundraising goal for our Athletics West capital campaign, and the House settlement will forever change how we support our student-athletes. We are also evaluating our current Trojan Athletic Fund model to see how we can better steward, engage, and reward the loyalty and generosity of the Trojan Family.
But celebrations like this month's groundbreaking serve as a needed reminder: together, we can transform the lives of generations of Trojans. And as much as we enjoyed the groundbreaking, we cannot wait for the grand opening in the Summer of 2026!
BLOOM PERFORMANCE CENTER SUPPORT TODAY
The Competitive Spirit of Our Student-Athletes
On October 27, our women's soccer program made history, winning its first ever conference championship – and USC's first-ever Big Ten title – by defeating UCLA 1-0 at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Ahead of the opening of Rawlinson Stadium next summer, these Road Warriors have been without a home stadium all season, traveling more than 20,000 miles, and never once did they blink. They finished the Big Ten regular season undefeated, earned the first NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed in program history, and dominated the Big Ten postseason awards.
Watching these Women of Troy take on every challenge all season and learn to use adversity to their advantage has been such a joy and inspiration, and we are so excited to keep cheering them on in the NCAA Tournament as they play Wake Forest on Friday at 2 p.m. for a spot in the College Cup.
Our men's water polo program captured our second conference championship of the year and the program's third straight MPSF title with a 15-13 win over UCLA on Sunday. It's the first three-peat in program history and the 20th straight NCAA Tournament appearance for the Trojans, and I couldn't be prouder and more inspired by their competitive spirit.
Speaking of beating the Bruins, our football program knocked off our crosstown rivals 19-13 on Saturday to cap off a memorable Conquest Week and return the Victory Bell where it belongs. I am confident we will fight for every second on Saturday against Notre Dame, and I look forward to honoring our seniors for their final game in the Coliseum.
Finally, for all the success our student-athletes have celebrated in competition, they continue to shine in the classroom, as well. Last week, the NCAA released its latest Graduation Success Rate (GSR) data, and USC Athletics' GSR reached an all time high of 94%. That achievement is a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and spirit of so many Trojans, including our academic staff and our campus partners, who continue to invest in and support the growth of our student-athletes.
FOOTBALL BEATS BRUINS MEN'S WATER POLO WINS MPSF TITLE SOCCER IN NCAA QUARTERFINALS
The Passionate Pride of Our Supporters
Saturday's sell-out crowd for our women's basketball contest against Notre Dame marked another amazing show of support from our fans in recent weeks. On the heels of three football sellouts against Wisconsin, Penn State, and Nebraska this fall and a record home volleyball crowd of 7,303 against UCLA on October 13, the passionate pride of the Trojan Family has been on display all over Troy this fall.
I want to thank the Trojan Family for their support all season long, and I want to encourage you to keep showing up, being loud, and rooting for the Trojans! Nothing gets our student-athletes more fired up than seeing their family, friends, and fans in the stands, and we hope to see all you in our venues throughout our winter and spring sports seasons, as well.
Our Courage to Blaze the Trail
There is no shortage of trailblazers across the Trojan Family, and there are a few I would like to congratulate, acknowledge, and thank.
Women's basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb recently earned her 300th career win as a head coach. Coach Gottlieb has returned our women's basketball program to its rightful place among the very best in college basketball, and we look forward to even more victories in the future.
Women's soccer head coach Jane Alukonis earned Big Ten Coach of the Year honors after leading the Trojans to our first ever conference title. She is the first USC coach to earn conference Coach of the Year honors, and she is truly building a program that embodies Trojan togetherness through its "We Over Me" attitude.
In the Trojans' win over Nebraska earlier this month, sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava became the first Polynesian quarterback to start for USC. Our football program has a rich Polynesian heritage, and Jayden's achievement only adds to USC's great tradition of excellence.
Finally, I want to end by thanking President Folt – who announced her retirement earlier this month, effective at the end of the academic year – for all she has done, both for USC and for me, personally.
USC Athletics has taken tremendous strides forward under her leadership, from our transition into the Big Ten to the investment in world-class facilities that serve our student-athletes. I also owe her eternal gratitude for trusting me to lead this incredible department and for providing the resources needed to give our student-athletes everything they need to grow and develop. Thank you, President Folt.
And thank you, Trojan Family, for all you do for our University, our department, and our student-athletes. College athletics is transforming faster than ever before. The final approval hearing for the House settlement is scheduled for April 2025, and our leadership team remains hard at work tackling the challenges it will present and building a model that serves our student-athletes and best positions USC for success in this changed and evolving landscape. While we look forward to sharing our plan in the months ahead, we are encouraged by the support we receive daily, from our trustees and campus partners to our loyal fans and alumni.
It will take great courage, togetherness, pride, and competitive spirit to navigate the changes ahead successfully. Because of your support, I am confident we will do exactly that, and we will continue to work tirelessly to make you proud.
Fight On!
Jen Cohen
Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics
