What to Know
- The stadium’s name change was announced last year by former USC president Max Nikias.
- The home of the Trojan’s is a landmark owned by the state, city and county of LA.
- The money will help pay for the $270 million renovation of the stadium.
Representatives from a series of veteran groups are speaking out against a name change that would make the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum the United Airlines Memorial Coliseum.
The stadium’s name change was announced last year by former USC president Max Nikias.
The iconic stadium, built in 1923 and dedicated as a memorial to World War I veterans, faces a possible corporate name change that veterans say denigrates their memory.
Veterans affairs commission chair Kyle Orlemann’s great-uncle was a World War I veteran. Orlemann’s said she feels personally insulted and that it’s an abomination to consider changing the stadium’s name.
"To dishonor those people to honor a corporation makes no sense," Orlemann said.
The home of the Trojans is a landmark owned by the state, city and county of LA. The university leases the stadium and the contract allows USC to sell the naming rights as long as the words "memorial coliseum" remain.
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"Let’s not frame it as some kind of negligence on the part of USC and our care and our concern for veterans," James Bogle, USC faculty said.
LA Coliseum Commission chair Janice Hahn proposed a compromise to call the stadium United Airlines Field at LA Memorial Coliseum.
"There should be a better way to renovate the coliseum, but preserve the history, dignity and purpose of this venue," Hahn said.
The money will help pay for the $270 million renovation of the stadium. The name change is scheduled to take place by August.
