LA Coliseum to be renamed to help fund upgrade

The iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will become the United Airlines Memorial Coliseum as part of a 16-year, $69 million sponsorship deal between the University of Southern California, which operates the stadium, and the airline. The agreement will help fund a $270 million upgrade of the 95-year-old venue that is scheduled to host the Olympic Games for the third time in history in 2028. Renovations have already begun and are expected to be completed in approximately 1 1/2 years. Among the changes are a new press box and new concourses. The name change will take place in August 2019. A new branded logo is being developed. USC plays home football games in the aging Coliseum and shares the site with the Los Angeles Rams for one more year before the NFL team moves into a new stadium in 2019. "Upgrading and renovating the L.A. Memorial Coliseum has been long overdue. It's needed, it's needed badly, and we are doing it now," USC president C.L. Max Nikias told The Wall Street Journal. "And it will be something, after the renovations are completed ... that all Angelinos should be very proud of." The university will invest $70 million in the stadium upgrades. USC runs the Coliseum as part of a 98-year lease agreement with the city, county and state. In addition to the 1932 and 1984 Olympics, the stadium has hosted a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II in 1987, Nelson Mandela in 1990, concerts and many other events. "It almost feels like a no-brainer to continue to make sure that it remains a symbol. It feels like a win-win for everybody," said Janet Lamkin, a United Airlines regional president.