The State of Troy | July 12: House Settlement, Trojan MAP, and an Unforgettable Year in Troy

Trojan Family,

What a year it has been. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating our entrance into the Big Ten. Now, just nine months later, as the 2024-25 year comes to a close, we are entering an entirely new era of college athletics altogether.

During this season of change, I was reminded, watching our 2025 graduates cross the stage last month, that our purpose is bigger and more transformative than box scores, trophy cabinets, and industry trends. This graduating class arrived at USC during a global pandemic, endured devastating wildfires, witnessed a rapidly changing landscape in college sports, and fought on through every challenge.

What they accomplished this year alone is remarkable: two national championships, four conference titles, and record-setting marks in the classroom. As they move on to the next chapters of their lives, I remain inspired by their competitive spirit and confident in the togetherness of the Trojan Family that will always support them.

In this month's State of Troy, I want to celebrate our victories from the past year and provide some important updates on our work to ensure future generations of Trojans enjoy the same opportunities as their accomplished and outstanding predecessors.

Competing for Cups and in the Classroom

USC is synonymous with broad-based excellence across all sports, and our accomplishments in 2024-25 rank with any in school history.

Heading into this week's NCAA Division I Outdoor National Track & Field Championships, we are poised to secure USC's highest-ever finish in the Learfield Directors Cup. After USC ranked fifth following the winter rankings, baseball's remarkable run to the NCAA Tournament and the final of the Corvallis Regional – plus postseason runs from men's and women's tennis, men's and women's golf, and a national runner-up finish for women's water polo – highlights how spectacularly our coaches and teams have performed across this spring.

(NOTE: Following publication of this letter, USC Men's Track and Field won the 2025 Outdoor National Championship)

That success also helped us win the Crosstown Cup for the 14th time. It's always a thrill to Beat the Bruins, and points from women's volleyball, women's soccer, football, women's rowing, women's golf, women's basketball, men's volleyball, beach volleyball, men's tennis, women's tennis, and women's water polo bring the Cup back where it belongs.

Our success this year also extended into the classroom. During the Spring 2025 semester, our student-athletes earned a 3.240 cumulative GPA, with 61 student-athletes earning a 4.0 and 440 student-athletes earning a 3.0 or better – all department records.

I'm so incredibly proud of our student-athletes, faculty, coaches, and staff for all they have accomplished this year, and we couldn't do it without our donors, fans, and the entire Trojan Family. Let's finish the year strong and cheer on track and field as they look to bring home more hardware this week in Eugene!

House Resources

Last week, a federal district judge in California gave final approval of the House vs. NCAA settlement, setting a new course for college athletics and fundamentally changing our industry forever. Beginning on July 1, 2025, institutions can compensate student-athletes for the use of their Name, Image & Likeness in promotional activities – commonly referred to as "revenue-sharing" or "rev-share." In addition, House removes scholarship limits and institutes roster limits, allowing for more investment in student-athletes than ever before.

Friday's approval created a firestorm of questions across the country, and before I outline USC's strategy to win the era, I want to make you aware of some resources to address the most commonly asked questions my colleagues and I have received over the past week.

The organization overseeing this new system and ensuring third-party NIL deals made with student-athletes are fair and compliant is called the Collegiate Sports Commission. On Friday, they launched their website and an X account to share resources and answer FAQs related to this new system, and on Wednesday, they launched NIL GO – the platform they will utilize to determine whether third-party NIL deals are made with the purpose of using a student-athlete's NIL for a valid business purpose and do not exceed a reasonable range of compensation.

If you have any questions about this new system, third-party NIL deals, or the new rules and enforcement structures impacting collegiate athletics moving forward, I encourage you to start there.

The next few months in our industry will serve as a crash course on this new model. We will continue to use this space and other USC Athletics platforms to help educate you all on the changes ahead and how they impact all of us.

The Trojan MAP

Though the House settlement was officially approved on Friday, our athletics administration has worked tirelessly since the preliminary approval of the settlement in October 2024 to develop a strategy that best positions USC for success in this changed and evolving landscape. As we have developed this road map, we have been united by our mission to ensure USC remains THE PLACE TO BE for student-athletes to reach their full potential in all they do.

Our guiding principles during the development of this strategy, as outlined in a previous State of Troy, include championship-level investment for football, our primary generator of revenue, engagement, and exposure; broad-based success across all 23 sports; and fiscal responsibility. Our leadership team has spent countless hours over several months building dozens of models that align with our principles and advance our mission, and we are excited to share our approach to win the new era of college athletics: The Trojan MAP.

As college athletics enters uncharted territory, the Trojan MAP will direct our decision-making and resource allocation to ensure USC student-athletes continue to fully realize their potential. MAP is an acronym representing the three areas of focus for our department as we embark on this new journey: Maximizing Investments in Student-Athletes, Adapting Business Practices to Secure Critical Resources, and Prioritizing Partnerships & Building Alignment.

1. Maximize Investments in Student-Athletes

As shared in previous communications, USC will invest the maximum permissible $20.5 million in 2025-26. Combined with the creation of new scholarships, we are increasing our investment in all 23 programs.

This strategy allows us to be nationally competitive and creates more opportunities for student-athletes across all sports to compete for championships, earn a degree from one of the top universities in the world, and leave USC prepared to make a positive impact on their communities.

We will also continue to invest in all aspects of the student-athlete experience. This includes world-class facilities, like the Bloom Football Performance Center, where we hosted a hard hat tour last week. The progress on Bloom has been remarkable to witness in real time, and by next fall, the finest football facility in the country will serve as the home of USC Football. More immediately, we are thrilled to open Rawlinson Stadium late summer for women's soccer and lacrosse before welcoming USC Baseball back to Dedeaux Field for competition next spring.

In addition to our facilities, we remain committed to the holistic development of our student-athletes, including academic support, health and wellness, and hiring the very best coaches in the country to help them develop and thrive, in competition and the classroom.

2. Adapt Business to Secure Critical Resources

Championship programs require championship resources, and while we are excited to provide additional benefits and opportunities to student-athletes, we are also realistic about increased costs.

Higher education and college athletics are undergoing a broad and challenging transformation, and we recognize that during this time of financial stress, we must increase revenue, reduce costs, and utilize our resources wisely and responsibly. As a result, we have been re-evaluating every aspect of our business as a department, and we will continue to seek creative new revenue streams, modernize our infrastructure, and operationalize efficiencies.

We must also work to better engage and expand our fanbase, grow fan, alumni, and donor support, and provide world-class experiences to all Trojan fans. Our department functions to build an inspirational community around our student-athletes, and we will be relentless in our work to ensure you all feel more connected and engaged with USC.

3. Prioritize Partnerships & Build Alignment

As chaotic as college athletics appears currently, we see an opportunity for progress, collaboration, and transformation. That is why we are approaching the new era with synergy, energy, and a focus on aligning all USC stakeholders toward the success of Trojan Athletics. Our commitment to enhancing relationships with our campus leaders and partners, our generous and passionate donors, our loyal and committed fan base, former student-athletes and alumni, and every other member of the Trojan Family will be relentless.

That alignment will also include identifying and pursuing strategic partnerships to elevate our work toward student-athlete success. Last week, we announced one such partnership with Learfield, and we are confident our new multimedia rights deal with the leading media and technology company powering college sports will be a game-changer for our student-athletes and our fans, as we tap into Learfield's best-in-class platforms for data and fan engagement and work with them to maximize our value in the corporate sponsorship market. Their expertise and resources in the NIL space, combined with our prominence in the best sports city in America, also give us a competitive edge for true, fair market NIL.

With the FIFA World Cup in 2026, Super Bowl LXI in 2027, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2028, all eyes will be on Los Angeles for the remainder of the decade. Together with Learfield, we will strategically expand NIL services, further monetize and maximize the already-global USC Athletics brand, and develop cutting-edge solutions with key partners in the NIL space – including Trojan business owners who wish to invest marketing dollars in our student-athletes – to empower our student-athletes to build iconic personal brands, foster invaluable relationships, and create lasting and impactful value for themselves and their families.

We embark on this unprecedented journey into a new era with clear direction and unwavering optimism, and we know it will require us to work harder and smarter than ever. We also know your support will be more important than ever, which is why we will launch a comprehensive campaign in August to ensure we can maximize our investment in student-athletes for years to come. Our strategy, your support, and the togetherness of the entire Trojan Family give us confidence in our ability to navigate any changes and challenges that lie ahead.

We look forward to sharing more updates in the coming weeks and months about our work to further invest in our student-athletes, better engage the Trojan Family, modernize our business, and align our efforts through strategic partnerships. Thank you for all you do for our student-athletes. Together, we will win the new era of college athletics and change the lives of generations of Trojans.

Fight On!

Jen Cohen
Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics

University Southern California Trojans

The State of Troy | July 12: House Settlement, Trojan MAP, and an Unforgettable Year in Troy

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