Just two days after a record-breaking viewership of 18.9 million for the NCAA women’s basketball national championship game — marking the highest viewership for any men’s or women’s professional or collegiate basketball game since 2019 — USC women’s sports achieved a historic milestone of its own. On a radiant Tuesday morning, amidst the University Park Campus, USC officially commenced the Rawlinson Stadium project, set to become the new home for Trojan women’s soccer and lacrosse.
USC Director of Athletics Jennifer Cohen expressed optimism about the surge in interest in women’s sports, stating, “There has never been a better time for women’s sports. People are recognizing the value in women’s sports, understanding that if given the stage, audiences will tune in. If you build it for her, they will come. If you provide her the opportunity, she will excel.”
The new stadium will replace Soni McAlister Field, the former venue for women’s soccer and lacrosse, situated at the intersection of 30th Street and Hoover Street. It will boast upgraded facilities for each team and a doubled seating capacity for fans. Most significantly, it will be USC’s first stadium dedicated solely to these two exceptional women’s sports programs.
“This field is exclusively for the Women of Troy…it’s not a hand-me-down,” remarked USC President Carol Folt. “Our commitment to women’s sports has never been stronger, and the world is beginning to recognize its significance.”
The stadium is a cornerstone of Folt’s ambitious “moonshot” for athletics, aimed at enhancing university excellence across various programs. Other initiatives include the Frontiers of Computing, USC Health Sciences expansion, sustainability leadership, and USC Competes, which seeks to attract top talent in all fields.
The $38 million Rawlinson Stadium project is slated for completion next year. Upon its inauguration, the stadium will feature 2,200 fixed seats with a total capacity of 2,500 on game days, along with spectator viewing decks and social spaces. For players, it will offer separate locker rooms, a team meeting area, sports medicine facilities, a nutrition fueling bar, and dedicated spaces for coaches. The venue will also include field lights and a natural grass playing surface.
“Our student-athletes are among the best, with lofty aspirations and dreams,” Cohen affirmed. “It is our duty at USC to provide them with the resources they need to achieve their full potential.”
Reflecting on the journey of women’s lacrosse, USC women’s lacrosse head coach Lindsay Munday described witnessing the sport’s growth, both at USC and nationwide. She hailed the stadium as a testament to this progress.
“This stadium embodies the new era of lacrosse and the passion and skill that USC — and Southern California as a whole — has to offer,” Munday stated.
Also present at the event was USC women’s soccer head coach Jane Alukonis, who expressed eagerness about hosting fans, friends, and families in a sold-out stadium for women’s sports.
“For current and future players, having a state-of-the-art facility is game-changing,” Alukonis emphasized. “It underscores USC soccer’s bright future and the prominence of women’s soccer overall.”
The stadium is named after the Rawlinson family, in honor of Joseph Rawlinson, a prominent Los Angeles philanthropist. The Fritz B. Burns Foundation, run by the Rawlinson family, contributed $10 million to the project, underscoring its commitment to USC Athletics.
Rex Rawlinson, a USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences graduate and president of the Fritz B. Burns Foundation, highlighted his parents’ dedication to community service.
“When you play in Rawlinson Stadium, remember to be a ‘good guy,’” Rawlinson urged. “As USC Trojans, you have numerous opportunities to make a positive impact.”
Student-athletes also shared their gratitude for the new stadium. Junior forward Simone Jackson from the USC women’s soccer team expressed appreciation for the support and recognition of women’s sports.
“I feel blessed to play at a time when women’s sports are valued and invested in,” Jackson remarked. “The possibilities are endless, and facilities like Rawlinson Stadium will attract top recruits and cement USC as the destination for excellence.”
As USC continues to raise the bar in athletics, Rawlinson Stadium stands as a testament to the university’s dedication to empowering women athletes and fostering their success.
