Finding parking for USC vs Ohio State in Los Angeles takes real planning, especially with two college football powerhouses meeting at the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on October 31, 2026. More than 77,000 fans will head to Exposition Park for this Big Ten matchup. Because of that crowd, spaces anywhere near 3911 S. Figueroa Street disappear quickly. Between street closures, permit zones, and strict post-game traffic routing, driving to the Coliseum without a spot reserved before kickoff can turn into a headache.

Where to Park for USC vs Ohio State: LA Coliseum and USC Football Game Day Parking

When deciding where to leave your car, you have three primary options: official Exposition Park lots and garages right by the stadium, USC-owned structures across the University Park Campus, or private neighborhood spaces near the Coliseum. Exposition Park lots put you steps from the gates. Campus garages, on the other hand, mean a 10-to-20-minute walk south through campus and over Exposition Boulevard.

Because space right beside the venue is tightly restricted, game day parking breaks down into these categories:

To skip the heavy campus congestion and avoid sold-out garages, booking a private space beforehand on Prked gives you a guaranteed driveway or commercial spot along the Figueroa corridor or Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.

Can You Pay Cash for LA Coliseum Parking on Game Day?

No. Cash is not accepted at the Coliseum or anywhere inside Exposition Park on game day. Every Exposition Park lot bordering the venue requires an advance permit. Staff will not take drive-up cash, and there are no credit card payment lanes at the gate.

USC campus decks are completely cashless as well. If you arrive at a university garage without a pre-purchased pass, you have to use a mobile pay-by-plate system. You will need a smartphone to scan a QR code or text a zone code through Text2Park to pay before leaving your car.

USC vs Ohio State Parking Cost: How Much Does Game Day Parking Cost?

USC campus decks charge a flat game-day drive-up rate of $50 per vehicle, plus a $0.50 mobile processing fee. Exposition Park permits are mostly sold as season-long packages through the Trojan Athletic Fund. When single-game passes for those stadium-adjacent lots hit resale platforms for marquee Big Ten games, they regularly run anywhere from $100 to $250.

Private parking around the Coliseum usually ranges from $25 to $60, depending on how close you are to the gates. Independent surface lots an 8-to-15-minute walk away along South Figueroa Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard list spaces on third-party sites starting around $30 to $40. Reserving a private spot through Prked, which holds a 5.0/5 rating on Trustpilot across 750+ reviews, lets you secure lower neighborhood prices before heading down and avoid unexpected game day markups.

Should You Book USC vs Ohio State Parking in Advance?

Yes. Reserving a spot ahead of time is the smartest move, and it is mandatory if you plan on parking inside Exposition Park. Attendants will turn away any vehicle that pulls up without an official permit in hand or on their phone.

University garages do accept drive-up arrivals until they run out of room. But for an opponent like Ohio State, campus decks routinely fill up hours before game time. Advance reservations for campus structures are sold online through platforms that carry ParkWhiz USC Coliseum parking passes. Meanwhile, apps handling JustPark LA Coliseum inventory often list pre-paid spots for private commercial locations nearby. Reserving ahead guarantees you actually have a place to leave your vehicle.

Can You Use USC Campus Parking Text2Park and Walk to the Coliseum?

Yes. You can pay on-site at USC campus decks via Text2Park and walk roughly 10 to 15 minutes straight to the gates. USC opens several of its main campus structures to general fans on game days, and the walking route takes you through the middle of campus directly toward Exposition Boulevard.

The most popular campus garages include:

• McCarthy Structure: Located off Figueroa Street at Gate 6, offering an easy walking route straight toward Exposition Boulevard.
• Figueroa Structure: Situated behind the USC Hotel on Figueroa Street. This one fills up fast because of its quick access to the stadium's northeast entrance.
• Downey Way Structure: Positioned on the west edge of campus off Vermont Avenue, giving drivers an easier route out toward the I-10 freeway after the game.
• Royal Street Structure: Found off Jefferson Boulevard, which works well if you are driving in from the north.

To use these decks, follow the signs inside, note the posted zone number, and text that structure's specific code to 25023 on your phone to complete your payment.

Does the Grand Ave Structure Shuttle to Coliseum Run on Game Day?

Yes, the shuttle runs on game days. It provides a free bus ride between the structure and the edge of the Coliseum grounds, sparing drivers the 20-minute trek across campus from Jefferson Boulevard and Grand Avenue.

The bus picks up right outside the Grand Avenue Structure and drops riders off at Pardee Way, near the intersection of Exposition Boulevard and Figueroa Street across from Exposition Park. Shuttles run continuously starting three hours before kickoff. Service pauses shortly after the game begins, then starts up again at the beginning of the fourth quarter to take fans back to their cars.

What Time Does Exposition Park Parking Open for the USC Game?

Official Exposition Park lots and USC campus garages open six hours before kickoff. For an afternoon or evening game, getting there right when gates open is the best way to beat the heavy traffic on surrounding surface streets.

Do not plan on idling in traffic lanes waiting for lots to open. LADOT officers actively ticket and move along any cars queued on Figueroa Street, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, or Exposition Boulevard before the gates officially unlock.

Where Can You Tailgate Before the Game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum?

Official tailgating happens on the lawns of the USC University Park Campus and in designated Exposition Park surface lots. The campus experience is picnic-focused, with groups setting up around Alumni Park, McCarthy Quad, and Trousdale Parkway.

Campus tailgating requires advance planning. If you want to host an outdoor setup on university grounds, you must submit an application through the USC Game Day Tailgate Registration system weeks ahead of time. Setup begins six hours before kickoff, and all campus tailgating has to shut down once the game gets underway.

Is Tailgating Allowed Inside LA Coliseum or USC Parking Garages?

No. Tailgating is strictly banned inside all parking structures and covered decks, both on the USC campus and within Exposition Park. Fire codes and venue safety rules prohibit open flames, charcoal, propane cookers, canopies, chairs, and open containers inside any multi-level garage.

These structures are meant strictly for parking cars. Attendants and security patrol the decks to make sure lanes and empty stalls stay clear. If you want to set up an outdoor tailgate, you will need a reserved lawn space on campus or a pass for one of the designated surface lots inside Exposition Park.

Game Day Traffic Patterns and Right-Turn-Only Entry Restrictions Around LA Coliseum

Getting to the Coliseum requires working around street restrictions managed by LADOT and the LAPD. To keep major roads moving, the city cuts off left-turn pockets along the primary corridors leading to the stadium.

Keep these rules in mind when mapping your route:

• Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard: If you are heading to Exposition Park lots on the south side of the stadium, approach from the west so you can make a right turn into the park. Left turns off eastbound MLK are barred.
• South Figueroa Street: Vehicles going into Exposition Park lots or campus structures have to turn right into the driveways. Northbound traffic on Figueroa cannot turn left across traffic onto Exposition Park Drive.
• Exposition Boulevard: Sections of Exposition Boulevard between Figueroa Street and Vermont Avenue are closed or heavily restricted to passenger cars so pedestrians and light rail riders can cross safely.

Planning an approach that sets you up for a right turn into your lot will keep you from getting routed past the venue and onto long freeway detours.

LA Coliseum Rideshare Drop Off and Pick Up Locations

Before the game, rideshare drivers can drop passengers off along the outer edge of Exposition Park, mainly on Vermont Avenue near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard or on Figueroa Street near 39th Street. Drivers cannot pull into internal stadium roadways or donor parking lots.

After the game, pickups right around the stadium are blocked for roughly 45 to 60 minutes. LAPD and LADOT establish a pedestrian zone that keeps Uber and Lyft cars well away from the park.

To catch a ride home without long waits or canceled requests, walk north across Exposition Boulevard onto the USC campus, or head a few blocks west past Vermont Avenue into the neighborhood before ordering your car.

LA Coliseum ADA Parking: Where to Find Accessible Game Day Spaces

Accessible parking is available in both Exposition Park lots and USC campus decks on a first-come, first-served basis. You will need a valid state-issued DMV placard or disability plate, and you still have to pay the standard event parking fee.

In Exposition Park, ADA stalls are located in the Blue Structure and surface lots, though they fill early. On campus, you will find accessible spaces on the ground floors of the McCarthy, Figueroa, and Downey Way structures.

USC also runs dedicated mobility shuttles on game days. These vans carry fans who need assistance from campus pickup locations across Exposition Boulevard to the stadium gates. They run return trips from the peristyle side of the Coliseum for about 45 minutes after the game ends.

How Long Does It Take to Exit Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Parking?

Leaving the stadium lots and campus garages generally takes 45 to 90 minutes after a major game like USC vs. Ohio State. With tens of thousands of people walking into the streets at the same time, traffic officers hold cars back to let pedestrians and Metro trains clear out first.

If your car is parked in an Exposition Park garage or surface lot, expect to wait in your stall or crawl in line for up to an hour while the surrounding roads open up. A few ways to speed up your trip home:

1. Book a private neighborhood spot on Prked several blocks north of Jefferson Boulevard, well outside the primary pedestrian zone.
2. Park in the Grand Avenue Structure, which puts you close to the I-10 East and West ramps without having to drive through foot traffic.
3. Hang around campus for an hour after the final whistle to let the worst of the congestion clear.

Which Metro Stations Offer Commuter Parking Near LA Coliseum?

The two light rail stops closest to the stadium—Expo Park/USC Station and Expo/Vermont Station on the Metro E Line—do not have commuter parking lots. If you want to take the train in, leave your car at a park-and-ride station further down the line and ride straight to the gates.

Useful Metro E Line park-and-ride options include:

• Culver City Station: Has a multi-level deck right off Venice and Washington Boulevards, followed by a 20-minute ride east to Expo Park/USC.
• La Cienega/Jefferson Station: Features a parking garage right off the I-10, about 15 minutes away from the stadium by train.
• Expo/Sepulveda Station: A convenient Westside garage for fans driving in from Santa Monica or West LA.
• Atlantic Station: Sits at the east end of the E Line in East Los Angeles, offering surface parking for fans coming from the San Gabriel Valley or Inland Empire.

Trains run every 6 to 10 minutes on game days, letting you step off right by the stadium entrance without sitting in South LA traffic.

Exposition Park Parking vs. Private Parking Near LA Coliseum

Renting a residential driveway or private yard from a homeowner west or south of the park is one of the practical ways to avoid the post-game gridlock. Exposition Park lots require hard-to-find donor permits and leave you waiting in long exit lines. Private neighborhood spots give you a similar walk while setting you up for a much faster departure.

• Closest Residential Corridors: Driveways along Leighton Avenue, Browning Boulevard, West 39th Street, and West 39th Place sit just across South Vermont Avenue from the park. A bit further south, homes along 40th Place and Walton Avenue sit just off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
• Walk Times to Coliseum Gates: A driveway on Leighton or Browning puts you 6 to 10 minutes (about 0.3 to 0.5 miles) from Gates 19 and 23. That is often a shorter walk than coming from campus structures like Royal Street.
• Direct Egress Away From Perimeter Locks: Official facilities like the Blue Structure and McCarthy Structure funnel cars right onto Figueroa and MLK, where left turns are blocked and pedestrians have the right-of-way. Leaving a driveway west of Vermont lets you avoid those choke points and head west toward Normandie or Western Avenue, giving you a clean shot at the I-10 or south toward Vernon and Slauson to catch the I-110.

Booking a private space through Prked—rated #1 on Trustpilot in both the Parking Garage and Parking Lot categories—is an easy way to lock down one of these neighborhood stalls ahead of kickoff. Rates are typically well below the university's $50 flat fee and avoid the steep markups found on ticket resale sites. Because hosts manage their own driveways, your car sits on an attended property rather than in an overcrowded parking deck, with host ratings and payment handled right inside the app.