Mascots
Tommy Trojan
“Tommy Trojan Mascot” is an integral part of school spirit. Tommy Trojan Mascot is responsible for leading and increasing crowd participation at Trojans Women’s and Men’s basketball games. In addition, Tommy Trojan Mascot has been featured on ESPN College Gameday, the Jeopardy! College Championships, and appears at numerous Trojan events on campus. Tommy Trojan Mascot also participates annually in the Pac-12 Football Championship Game at Levi’s Stadium and the Women’s and Men’s Pac-12 Basketball Tournaments in Las Vegas along with the other Pac-12 mascots.
Traveler
Traveler, the noble white horse that appears at all the USC football games with a Trojan Warrior astride, is one of the most famous college mascots.
Traveler first made an appearance at USC football games in 1961 in the home opener versus Georgia Tech. Bob Jani, USC’s director of special events, and Eddie Tannenbaum, a junior at USC, had spotted Richard Saukko riding his white horse, Traveler I, in the 1961 Rose Parade. They persuaded Saukko to ride his white horse around the Coliseum during USC games, serving as a mascot. Ever since, whenever USC scores, the band plays “Conquest” and Traveler gallops around the Coliseum.