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Season Opens at the Coliseum: USC Hosts San José State

Two programs with everything to prove kick off their 2024 campaigns in the shadow of the Peristyle.

D1Ball StaffThursday, July 16, 2026

It's Week Zero, and the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is open for business. USC welcomes San José State on Saturday afternoon for a season opener that carries the weight of fresh beginnings — new records, new hopes, and the kind of August electricity that only college football can generate.

For the Spartans, this is the ultimate opportunity: walk into one of the sport's most storied venues and announce yourself. For the Trojans, it's about setting a tone. Every opener is a statement game, and playing under the California sun in front of a home crowd adds fuel to the fire.

The matchup edge? USC's home-field advantage at the Coliseum is real, and season openers tend to favor the team that controls the early tempo. But openers are also unpredictable — first-game wrinkles, fresh legs, and the hunger of a program with nothing to lose. That's why you tune in.

Data via ESPN · Summarized by D1Ball's editorial engine from official statistics.

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