The Trojans are in for a unique challenge this weekend at Memorial Stadium.
And it has nothing to do what happens on the field.
Easily the worst visitors' locker room in the Pac-10, the away team's quarters at Memorial Stadium provide for cramped space, awkward comings and goings and a tricky organizational plan for USC's equipment staff.
"It's a brutal set up," assistant equipment manager Seth Svendsen said. "You've got to be creative."
The locker room is tiny and doesn't offer any meeting space for coaches. Also, it's dilapidated and seems older than the stadium itself. And to top it all off, it's about two stories above the playing field, so players have to wind their way down a makeshift wooden staircase and through a long, narrow tunnel to reach the field. All that goes to say, Cal has created some big disadvantages for its opponents when playing in Berkeley.
The visitors' locker room at Memorial Stadium is cramped, old and not very welcoming for Cal's opponents. [Picture taken during halftime of the 2007 USC-California game]
And it has nothing to do what happens on the field.
Easily the worst visitors' locker room in the Pac-10, the away team's quarters at Memorial Stadium provide for cramped space, awkward comings and goings and a tricky organizational plan for USC's equipment staff.
"It's a brutal set up," assistant equipment manager Seth Svendsen said. "You've got to be creative."
The locker room is tiny and doesn't offer any meeting space for coaches. Also, it's dilapidated and seems older than the stadium itself. And to top it all off, it's about two stories above the playing field, so players have to wind their way down a makeshift wooden staircase and through a long, narrow tunnel to reach the field. All that goes to say, Cal has created some big disadvantages for its opponents when playing in Berkeley.
The visitors' locker room at Memorial Stadium is cramped, old and not very welcoming for Cal's opponents. [Picture taken during halftime of the 2007 USC-California game]
The Pac-10 should step in and make them upgrade the facilities or at least make them a notch above deplorable for the visiting team. Actually this probably serves as a motivational tool that the visitors can use when they face off with the Bears. I know it would fire me up.
Fight on! Go Troy!!
you know, if the Pac-10 steps in, it will require us to make our visitor lockers better too. I dont know if you saw the feature (yesterday or the day before) about the Coliseum's away lockers, but this place at least has space for you to form groups for discussion. our's (USC's) doesnt have any of that. I'll take it the way it is.