What a TBD kickoff on a Saturday in late October means
USC's official schedule lists Ohio State at home on Saturday, October 31, with the time still TBD, and the Coliseum's event page says game times and television plans for USC's 2026 season will be announced at a later date. For scale, this season's earlier home games at the Coliseum kicked off at 12:00 p.m., 4:30 p.m., 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. A noon game is a morning departure; an evening game is a late return on Halloween night. Book a pickup window now and adjust it the day the time is announced; dispatch moves it with you.
It is a busy Saturday around the Coliseum even before kickoff. The same day, L.A. Comic Con runs at the Los Angeles Convention Center up Figueroa Street from 9:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., and the Kings host Buffalo at Crypto.com Arena at 1:00 p.m. That evening, West Hollywood holds its Halloween Carnaval. If your route crosses downtown or the Westside, leave margin; the Coliseum itself recommends Waze or Google Maps and the SoCal511 app for live traffic.
Tickets and entry
Tickets are sold through USC; the Coliseum's event page links to them and shows no prices, so we quote none. Entry is by mobile ticket only: the Coliseum asks you to download tickets to your phone's wallet before you arrive and says printed versions and screenshots are not accepted. The stadium is cashless (cards and mobile pay only) and screens everyone with metal detectors. Lux4Rides is not affiliated with USC, Ohio State, the Big Ten or the Coliseum, and sells transportation only.
The Coliseum's advice on timing is specific: be at the gates no later than 60 minutes before kickoff. With 77,500 seats and Halloween crowds, treat that as the latest time to be walking up, not the time to leave home.
Getting there: the Coliseum's drop-off and pickup rules
The Coliseum's Getting Here page sets out the rideshare rule in one paragraph: Exposition Park allows rideshare access from Figueroa Street, with drop-off and pickup along Expo Park Drive. During larger events, a designated rideshare area is located on Vermont Avenue between Exposition Boulevard and Downey Way. After the event, guests exit Gate 19 or 23 and walk north of the Coliseum to Exposition Boulevard and west to Vermont Avenue. The page also warns that rideshare services are prohibited from entering the Exposition Park area until 45 to 60 minutes after an event, because of the traffic pattern leaving the park.
A private chauffeur follows the same instructions and the traffic officers on the day. For a game of this size, plan on the Vermont Avenue area unless officers direct otherwise; dispatch confirms the meeting point the day before. Two other rules shape the approach: most traffic into Exposition Park is right-turn only, with left-turn pockets closed, and the park's vehicle entrances are at MLK and Hoover and 39th and Figueroa. On an hourly booking the chauffeur and vehicle are reserved for the hours you book, stage where waiting is permitted and coordinate your return pickup by text; no car can hold a curb space near a gate.
Guests with disabilities have a separate drop-off and pickup on Exposition Park Drive, entered from South Figueroa at West 39th Street. The Coliseum warns that it can be hard to reach in heavy traffic and that post-game pickup there may be delayed 45 to 60 minutes until streets reopen. Tell us when you book and we plan around it.
- Sprinter groups (up to 14 booked online): the Coliseum says tall vans, large SUVs, RVs and buses are not accepted in any parking garage because of height, and that oversize parking is extremely limited and sold in advance. A Sprinter uses the drop-off and a staged pickup instead.
- Rail alternative: the Metro E Line stops at Expo Park/USC and Expo/Vermont, under a five-minute walk from the gates; the Coliseum suggests buying a $3.50 round-trip fare at the start of the trip.
Parking, tailgating and why many groups don't drive themselves
Exposition Park lots are permit only on USC game days, and the Coliseum says there are no cash lots in the park during USC football. USC's game-day page encourages fans without parking passes to park in USC campus garages, which use Text2Park (license plate, phone and card), with a short walk to the stadium; the Coliseum notes that rates can differ on home football days. Tailgating happens on USC's campus and is part of the tradition.
That is where a chauffeur changes the plan. The car drops your group at the rideshare area, you walk into campus or straight to the gates, and nobody in the party is the designated driver on a Halloween Saturday. If you want the car available for the tailgate cooler or a change of clothes, book hourly; the chauffeur stays nearby and comes back when you message.
Timing the exit
Because rideshare cannot enter Exposition Park for 45 to 60 minutes after the game, the pickup works on the Coliseum's clock, not the final whistle. Leave by Gate 19 or 23, walk north to Exposition Boulevard and west to Vermont, and message the chauffeur as you start walking. On a scheduled return, set the pickup for at least an hour after the expected end and text dispatch if the game runs long; college games with television windows often do.
For an evening kickoff, keep the late-night alternatives in mind. The Coliseum lists the last E Line trains from Expo Park at 11:50 p.m. eastbound towards downtown and 12:10 a.m. westbound towards Santa Monica, with extra service for one to two hours after the game. A booked car does not depend on either.
Families, bags and groups
USC's clear-bag policy allows a clear bag no larger than 12 x 6 x 12 inches, and the Coliseum asks guests to keep items visible for screening. Anything else stays in the car, which is a practical reason for an hourly booking with children: the seat we install ($25 each per ride) and the extra layers for a cooling evening stay in the vehicle all day. Vehicle sizes for a group: a Luxury SUV seats seven, the Escalade Elite six, and a Mercedes Sprinter up to fourteen when booked online.
Coming from across Southern California, or flying in from Ohio
From Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Pasadena or Santa Monica, the run to Exposition Park is short enough that an hourly block covers the drive in, the game and the drive home; enter your address and the booking form sets the hours. From Orange County, Irvine or Newport Beach, two scheduled transfers are often the better value for a fixed plan. Visiting fans landing at LAX: a one-way ride from LAX to The Biltmore in downtown Los Angeles was $122 in a Comfort Sedan, $152 in a Luxury SUV, $198 in an Escalade Elite, $202 in an Executive Sedan and $522 in a Sprinter on the booking form on October 10, 2026. Add your flight number and the chauffeur tracks it; inside-terminal meet and greet is $60 per booking.