Nike is leaning into the start of college football season with a new USC-themed Vomero 18 running shoe, giving Trojans fans another way to rep the program as Lincoln Riley heads into what could be a pivotal year.
USC is one of the featured schools in Nike’s college football drop, and the shoe arrives with the Trojans trying to climb into Big Ten title contention. The team finished 9-4 last season and closed things out with an overtime loss to TCU in the Alamo Bowl.
There’s plenty to watch on the field, too. Returning quarterback Jayden Maiava should give the offense a lift, while the defense could get help from transfers such as defensive end Zuriah Fisher and cornerback Carrington Pierce.
The USC Nike Vomero 18 comes in a bold red look with white and black details. That includes a white foam sole and a black back design, while the Trojans logo appears on both sides of the shoe.
Fans looking ahead to the season can also already buy 2026 USC football tickets. Ticket prices begin at $28, with availability for every game, whether it’s at LA Memorial Coliseum or on the road.
USC’s 2026 slate opens Saturday, Aug. 29 against San Jose State at LA Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles at 3 p.m. ET, with tickets starting at $29.
Fresno State visits on Friday, Sept. 4 at 9 p.m. ET, and Louisiana comes to Los Angeles on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 11 p.m.
ET.
The Trojans then hit the road for Rutgers on Saturday, Sept. 19 at SHI Stadium in Piscataway, N.J., with tickets starting at $74. Home games against Oregon on Saturday, Sept. 26 and Washington on Saturday, Oct. 3 are both listed as TBD on kickoff time, with tickets starting at $128 and $72, respectively.
USC’s road stretch includes Penn State on Saturday, Oct. 10 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pa., where tickets start at $326, and Wisconsin on Saturday, Oct. 24 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wis., where tickets start at $75.
Back in Los Angeles, the Trojans host Ohio State on Saturday, Oct. 31 with tickets starting at $255, then travel to Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 14 at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Ind., where tickets start at $137. USC finishes its home schedule against Maryland on Saturday, Nov. 21 at LA Memorial Coliseum, with tickets starting at $34, before closing the regular season on Saturday, Nov. 28 with tickets starting at $190.
In Other News...
USCs Season May Come Down To One Troubling Receiver Question
USCs offense has enough talent to sound dangerous on paper, but the real separator this fall may be whether the Trojans can get the wide receiver room to match the rest of the roster. ESPNs Bill Connelly pointed to quarterback Jayden Maiava as a major variable, and the backfield duo of Waymond Jordan and King Miller should help stabilize things, but that only matters if the passing game has enough reliable targets to keep defenses honest.
That is where the pressure shifts to names like Tanook Hines and transfer Terrell Anderson, along with the broader depth Dennis Simmons is trying to build at receiver. For USC, the question is not simply whether the top options can flash, but whether the position can hold up across a season and give Maiava the kind of support that turns promise into production. [Read more 🡒]
USC Fall Camp Opens With Real Buzz Around A Massive Challenge
USC has opened fall camp with a little more polish around the program than it had a year ago, thanks in part to the new Bloom Football Performance Center making its public debut as the team got to work on its first week of drills for the 2026 season. Lincoln Riley has already pointed to the facility as a meaningful addition for the Trojans, and the timing fits a program that is trying to turn a strong offseason of momentum into something more tangible once the games start counting.
The bigger picture, of course, is the road ahead. USCs 2026 schedule picked up a late addition in San Jose State, but the real weight still comes from a Big Ten slate that brings Oregon, Indiana and Ohio State into the mix. For a team trying to build consistency under Riley, camp is where the foundation gets laid, but the seasons toughest questions are already waiting on the other side. [Read more 🡒]