I tweeted this afternoon an announcement was coming and USC just sent out that associate director Jake Vogel is the new director of the Trojan Marching Band. He replaces Art Bartner, who was the director since 1970. I’ve written previously that Vogel was the frontrunner but it took forever to name a replacement. I heard today Carol Folt was directly involved in the process. And … Continue reading USC Finally Replaces Art Bartner

USC legend Alex Olmedo, who won Wimbledon and the Australian Open in 1959 plus two NCAA singles titles, has died. He was 84. Olmedo, who was born in Arequipa, Peru, was only 17-years-old when he boarded a ship from Peru to Cuba, flew to Miami and a bus to Los Angeles because he wanted to be part of the Southern California tennis scene. Olmedo won NCAA … Continue reading USC Tennis Loses Greats Alex Olmedo And Dennis Ralston

The Daily Trojan has a lengthy story today on the USC band that includes sexual-assault and racial allegations. Full story here. Excerpt: “In early August, a letter questioning the same culture was drafted and signed by 135 current and former marching band members. It detailed sexual assault allegations from three anonymous sources directed toward a tenor sax player who graduated in 2019, as well as … Continue reading USC Band Under Investigation

When I started this blog 29 months ago, it was going to be more of a hobby after covering USC for more than 20 years. I never imagined it would grow to its current size and attract such a loyal audience. Well, now it’s time to grow even more. Today, I’m taking the InsideUSC blog to Sports Illustrated. The new address is https://www.si.com/college/usc/ The new … Continue reading Important Announcement About USC Blog

Apparently, there’s a new scandal involving USC’s Office of Conduct, Accountability and Professionalism, according to a report from KCET. Excerpt: “The attorney’s lawsuit was filed just days after USC named a new leader for equity, equal opportunity and Title IX, replacing Gretchen Gaspari, who is accused in the court document of retaliating against the attorney for reporting that her own husband, John Gaspari, was convicted … Continue reading Never A Dull Moment At USC, Part II

Actress Kelly Preston, who died over the weekend after a two-year battle with breast cancer, attended USC. Here she is in her USC sorority photo circa 1980-81. In Varsity Blues news, California couple Todd and Diane Blake agreed to plead guilty to charges they paid bribes to get their daughter recruited to USC as a fake athlete in the “Varsity Blues” case. Todd Blake will … Continue reading Afternoon Notes: Another USC Connection