The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is owned by three public entities working in layers. The State of California owns the land underneath the stadium. The buildings and improvements on top of that land are held in equal one-third shares by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Los Angeles.1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. About Us The University of Southern California does not own any of it; USC operates the venue as a tenant under a lease that runs through December 31, 2054.
The Land Belongs to the State
The ground the Coliseum sits on is state property. It lies within Exposition Park, which is managed through the Office of Exposition Park Management, a program within the Sixth District Agricultural Association under the California Food and Agricultural Code. The park operates as a department of the state’s Natural Resources Agency and is led by a General Manager and Executive Director appointed by the Governor.2Exposition Park. Governance
Because the property is held as a public asset rather than through a private deed, the Coliseum can function as a veterans memorial. It was originally dedicated in 1923 as a Los Angeles County memorial to World War I veterans and rededicated in 1968 to honor all Americans who served in the Great War.3Los Angeles Coliseum. The Los Angeles Coliseum Dedicated to the United States Armed Forces Memorial
The Stadium Buildings Are Split Three Ways
The structures on the state’s land are owned separately from the land itself. The Coliseum Commission, Los Angeles County, and the City of Los Angeles each hold a one-third interest in the buildings and improvements.1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. About Us No single owner can sell, demolish, or fundamentally change the stadium on its own. Any major decision requires agreement across city, county, and state lines.
The Coliseum Commission Coordinates the Owners
Three levels of government need a single body to speak through, and that body is the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. The Commission is a Joint Powers Authority created under California Government Code Section 6500, which allows public agencies to combine their authority into a legally independent entity.4California Legislative Information. California Code GOV 6500 – Joint Exercise of Powers The Commission holds the ground leases from the State of California and acts as the public landlord for the property.1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. About Us
The Commission has six voting members, divided evenly among the three owning entities:
- Two members appointed by the Mayor of Los Angeles
- Two members appointed by the County Board of Supervisors
- Two members appointed by the Governor of California
The City Council President, the Board of Supervisors, and the Governor may each also designate one alternate.1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. About Us The balanced split keeps any one jurisdiction from running the stadium’s future on its own.
USC Operates the Coliseum But Doesn’t Own It
The university is often mistaken for the owner because it runs the day-to-day operation. It isn’t. Effective July 29, 2013, the Commission and USC implemented the Second Amendment to their lease agreement, transferring long-term operation and maintenance of the Coliseum to the university.1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. About Us USC handles event scheduling, security, upkeep, and the financial risk that comes with a 100,000-seat venue.
What USC holds is a leasehold interest, meaning the legal right to use, manage, and profit from the property for a fixed period. The university cannot sell the land or the stadium. The ground leases run through December 31, 2054, a term set when the Commission extended the leases on September 3, 2003, well before USC took over operations.1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. About Us
As part of its operating role, USC completed a $315 million renovation finished in time for the 2019 football season,5USC Trojans. Renovated Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Ready For 2019 and secured a naming rights deal with United Airlines so that the playing field is now called “United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.”6USC Today. USC and United Airlines Agree to Name Field at the Coliseum The memorial name of the stadium itself is unchanged, and the public owners remain the public owners. Naming the field and paying for renovations are tenant activities, not acts of ownership.
Ownership Reverts to the State in 2055
The current three-way split has an expiration date. When the ground leases run out on December 31, 2054, the one-third interests held by the Commission, the County, and the City end. On January 1, 2055, full ownership of the Coliseum reverts entirely to the State of California, and all improvements USC made during its tenancy become part of the property the State reclaims.1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. About Us What the State does with it after that, whether through a new commission, a new lease, or direct management through its existing park infrastructure, has not been publicly announced.