Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Lore & Background

The Coliseum was the home of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (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 has also been the temporary home of the Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1958 to 1961, and was the host venue for games three, four, and five of the 1959 World Series. Additionally, it has served as a home field for the 1960 inaugural season for the Los Angeles Chargers, the Los Angeles Raiders of the NFL 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 once hosted Olympic sprinters, now serving as a boundary for the gridiron. Inside the bowl, thousands of fans clad in blue and gold create a sea of color that contrasts sharply with the weathered concrete. As the Rams take the field, the air vibrates with the sound of stomping feet and the iconic 'Rams Horns' being blown high above the stands. It is a moment where history feels tangible, connecting the ghosts of 1930s football legends with the modern players lining up for a snap under the open 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 (USC). The field runs east to west with the press box on the south side of the stadium. The signature Olympic cauldron and the Olympic 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. Renovations completed in time for the 2019 football season included replacing every seat, adding new aisles, widening some seats, constructing a larger press box with suites and lounges, restoring the peristyle, and adding a new sound system, stadium-wide Wi-Fi, and two new HD video jumbotrons.

Did You Know?

• The Coliseum was commissioned as a memorial to Los Angeles veterans of World War I and rededicated in 1968 to all United States veterans of the war.
• It hosted 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 from 1958 to 1961 and hosted games of the 1959 World Series.
• The Coliseum will become the first stadium to host the Summer Olympics three times when it hosts the 2028 Olympics, having previously hosted in 1932 and 1984.