USC Trojans' Lincoln Riley Reveals Travel Plans for Cross-Country Trip to Maryland

The USC Trojans will make their first cross-country trip in a decade when they travel to College Park to face the Maryland Terrapins for a Big Ten Conference game. USC football coach Lincoln Riley revealed on Monday how the Trojans were going to handle travel this week.

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

The USC Trojans will make their first cross country trip as members of the Big Ten Conference when they travel to College Park to face the Maryland Terrapins Saturday, Oct. 19. It will be the first time the two programs have squared off on the gridiron. 

USC has already traveled north to Minneapolis and Ann Arbor this season, but this trip to the other coast will be the Trojans' longest since 2014, when they faced Boston College. Trojans coach Lincoln Riley revealed on Monday how the Trojans were going to handle travel this week. 

“We’re going to adjust just a little bit because this is obviously the longest flight that we have,” Riley said. “We’re going to do a little more here on early Friday morning compared to what we’ve done on some of the few other trips and then just get out to Maryland and have a little bit less time there. Some of that is just a response to the flight time and just some of the feedback from the guys and from the staff after being in a couple of these situations. Nothing earth shattering, but shifting a few things around.”

Oct 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley looks on during the first half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-Imagn Images / Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Conference realignment has brought new rivalries to college football and more compelling matchups throughout the regular season, but it also means longer trips. Coast-to-coast travel for conference play has become the new normal in collegiate athletics, and programs are figuring out how to adjust to the changes. 

USC has the luxury of being in the second-most populated city in the country with an airport that can accommodate their travel needs. It was a different story for Penn State last week. The Nittany Lions had to bus almost 100 miles from Happy Valley over the Harrisburg International Airport before flying out because their small, local airport could not accommodate the size of plane needed to make the trip without stopping for fuel along the way. They also made the trip on Thursday before the Saturday game.

A 4 p.m. ET kickoff gives the team more leeway on travel versus the 12:30 p.m. kickoff Penn State had when they traveled to Los Angeles last Saturday or the 12:00 p.m. kickoff the UCLA Bruins had when they traveled to the Happy Valley the week prior. 

The Trojans have not fared well in Central or Eastern Time Zone games in recent memory, including 0-2 this season against the Michigan Wolverines and Minnesota Golden Gophers. Their last win came in 2012, when they defeated the Syracuse Orange 42-29.

Saturday will be the first time USC has played in the state of Maryland since 1950. Kickoff is slated for 1 p.m. PT and will be televised on FS1. 

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