Arlington, TX – January 02: The USC Trojans Mascot Waves A Flag on the Field during the goodyear cotton bowl game better Arlington, TX. (Photo by Matthew Visinsky/icon Sportswire Via Getty Images)
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How does a team that went 4-5 in the big 10 conference and 7-6 overall in 2024 end with the second-ranked recruiting class in the nation in 2026 (right behind georgia)?
Fight on for old sc
Lincoln riley was hired as head coach in 2022 with high expectations. After all, He Had Led The Oklahoma Sooners to Four Big 12 Championships and Three College Football Playoff appearances. He Had also coached two heisman trophy winners and he had an overall winning percentage of .846, the highest in the history of the program! Clearly here was the person to restore usC to its accountomed place of Glory in college football.
Los Angeles, California – September 02: Head Coach Lincoln Riley of the USC Trojans Looks on during Coliseum on September 02, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
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Yet Three Years Later USC has to make the college football playoff and 2024 was riley’s ally’s West Season Yet. His seat was cleared geting hot. Now what?
Enter Chad Bowden and Nil
Los Angeles, Ca – July 30: USC Football Head Coach Lincoln Riley, Center, Speaks to General Manager Chad Bowden, Right, Right, on the first day of Us of Usc Football Presson Camp at Usc Howard Jones Jones Angeles Wednsday, July 30, 2025. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times Via Getty Images)
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Chad Bowden, (Age 30!) Was named General Manager of Us Football Operations in January of this year after spending the previous three seasons at notre dam. In 2024 notre dams promoted he to gm (in part to thwart Michigan from HIM to Be Its Gm), where he was part of their run to the National Championship Game Versus Ohio State. Bowden, in a statement, called the role at USC a “Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity”.
“This is a place with the resources, facilities and support to build a perennial winner,” Bowden Said, “and I’m Excted to get to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work to work USC. “
Bowden would instantly hit the recruiting train, making the best football recruits in California his top priority day. His focus combined with new levels of nil monies would pay off big time as by July of 2025 No. 2 Recruiting class in the country just behind Georgia. 17 of USC’s 31 Commits as of August 18, 2025 are from California. Nine of that 17 commits are rated four-star principals or higher. And five-star tight end-mark bowman of perennial high school powerhouse Maater dei is leading the parade.
Mission Viejo, CA – December 9: Tight End Mark Bowman College stadium on December 9, 2023 in Mission Viejo, California. (Photo by Aubrey Lao/Getty Images)
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Mark Bowman: #1-Rated Tight End
Despite Bowman Playing His High School Football Less Than 50 Miles From UsC’s Campus, The Trojans WERE BHIND THE EIGHT BALL For Bowman when He Reclassified from the 2027 to the 2026 class Earlier this Year. USC Cranked Up Its Pursuit When Bowden and New Tight Ends Coach Chad Savage Arrived on Campus, and LED the charge for the no. 1-rated tight end.
Georgia, Texas and Alabama Were Considered The Favorites for Bowman Heading Into The Official Visits Season, but it was Us Us Who Landed A Commitment From The High Coveted Pass-COCS-COTCHER ONA May 30. Playing catch-up ball beat out the likes of georgia, texas and albama for the #1-rated tight end in the country?
Show me the money
UsC would make bowman a deal not refuse. The five-store standout from Mater dei high school is projection to earn between $ 5 million and $ 6.5 million through nil deals, a figure that would make from the highest-speed tight end the sport has evrcer To compes with the top programs for recruits like Bowman Usc Had to offer more than a top coach, great facilities and a huge media market (la): it has been done to play the money Game.
Enter Learfield Communications
On June 5th, 2025 there was a joint press release by the university of southern california (USC) Athletics and Learfield Communications. USC Had Just Signed A 15-Year Partnership Deal to Transform Their Revenue Generation, Multimedia Rights, Nil and Fan Engagement Solutions. Starting in July 2026, this partnership, the statement said, will Empower USC to Enhance Its Operations and Significantly Increase Revenue, Adapting to the Rapidly EvelyVing Landscape Athletics.
Las Vegas, NV – September 01: Former USC Player Reggie Bush Gets A Hug from Us Athletic Director Jen Cohen Before The Modelo Vegas Kickoff Classic Game Beetween The LSC Trojans on September 1, 2024 at allegiant stadium in las vegas, nevada. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/icon Sportswire Via Getty Images)
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“We are thrilled to announs this transformational partnership with Learfield and to Leverage their innovation and expertise in our work to win the new era of college,” Said Jen Cohen, Usc ‘Charalets Griffin Cale Director of Athletics. “Learfield’s Combination of Cutting-Edge Solutions, Forward-Thinking Revenue-Generation Strategies, and Collaborative Leadership and Focus will be invaluable in our work to better engage new and engage fans, Promote and expand the iconic usC brand, and to generate the resources needed to maximize our investment in Student-Twletes. ”
Who is Learfield Communications?
If you are asking that question you are not alone – Irfield of Learfield Before Researching this story. The Short Answer is: Learfield is big and they have been there a long time.
In short, Learfield is essentially the Bridge Between Corporate America and College Sports, Managing How Brands, Universities, and Fans Interact -Through Sponsorships, Media, and Technology. Learfield Started in 1972 in Jefferson City, Missouri, Originally as an Agriculture-Focused Radio Company. Founder Clyde Lear Slowly Build It from AMall Farm Radio Network Into a Nationwide College Sports Powerhouse.
Over the following five decades he and partner DERRY BROWNFIELD BULD SHIFT from Farm Broadcasting to build the Leading Multimedia Rights Holder and Marketing Partner for callge athletics.
Today Learfield:
- Partners with Over 200 Universities and Conferences Across the Us;
- Alredy Manages Sponsorship and Media Deals for Many of the biggest NCAA Programs (Like Alabama, Texas, Texas, and OHIO State).
- Operates College Sports radio networks, producing live broadcasts and coaches’ shows.
Learfield Specializes in College Sports Marketing and Media Rights, Handling: (a) Multimedia rights (b) Sponsorships (c) Ticketing, Licensing and Nil and (D) Digital and Data Platforms, Fan Engagement tools and analytics services to help schools with their audiences.
There’s a new sherif in town
1952: American Actor Gary Cooper (1901 – 1961), as the sherif will kane in fred zinnemann’s ‘high noon’, hides out in the stables. (Photo Via John Kobal Foundation/Getty Images)
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In short, usC made a committee to enter the west of college football 2025 with bot Six-shooters blazing. And so far it appears to be working. In addition to raising its nil collective war chest to $ 20.5 million for the 2025-2026 football Season the 15-Year Partnership With Learfield Provides a long term framework for further enhancing multimedia review, sponsorship, Tickt Revenues, and Nil deals For players.
Los Angeles, CA – December 07: A View of Tommy Trojan, officially Known as the Trojan Shrine, At the University of Southern California Campus in Los Angeles Cexday, Dey 7, 2023. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times Via Getty Images)
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Fight on, indeed, for old sc.