Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Lore & Background

The Coliseum was the home of the Los Angeles Rams of the NFL from 1946 to 1979 and again from 2016 to 2019. It was the site of the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (later called Super Bowl I) and Super Bowl VII. The stadium was the temporary home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of MLB from 1958 to 1961, and hosted games three, four, and five of the 1959 World Series. It also served as a home field for the 1960 inaugural season for the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Raiders from 1982 to 1994, and UCLA Bruins football. The Coliseum was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 27, 1984, a day before the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympics. It will become the first stadium to have hosted the Summer Olympics three times when it hosts the 2028 Summer Olympics, previously hosting in 1932 and 1984.

In Their Own Story

The sun beats down on the red clay track that encircles the diamond, casting long shadows across the bleachers packed with thousands of eager fans. A young boy in a blue cap watches as Jackie Robinson steps into the batter's box, the roar of the crowd echoing off the concrete arches built for Olympic glory decades prior. The air smells of hot dogs and fresh-cut grass, a stark contrast to the dusty streets of Brooklyn. As the pitcher winds up on the mound, the entire stadium holds its breath, united in this temporary sanctuary where history is being written anew under the California sky.

Reader's Guide

The Coliseum is jointly owned by the State of California's Sixth District Agricultural Association, Los Angeles County, and the City of Los Angeles. It is managed and operated by the University of Southern California. The field runs east to west with the press box on the south side of the stadium. The signature Olympic cauldron and rings remain above the peristyle at the east end of the stadium. The current jumbotrons to each side of the peristyle were installed in 2017.

Did You Know?

• The Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 and completed in 1923 as a memorial to Los Angeles veterans of World War I.
• It hosted the first AFL–NFL World Championship Game (Super Bowl I) and Super Bowl VII.
• The Coliseum is the only stadium to have hosted both an Olympic opening ceremony and a World Series game.
• It will be the first stadium to host the Summer Olympics three times (1932, 1984, and 2028).