Los Angeles NFL + College Football Weekend 2026: SoFi Stadium and the Coliseum in One 72-Hour Trip

Once, and only once, in late August. The schedule cross-references to a single window: Chargers vs. Rams at SoFi (Aug 27, 7 PM local), followed by USC vs. San José State at the Coliseum (Aug 29, noon local). No other point in 2026 puts NFL and college football in the same LA weekend.

What makes August 27 the right anchor is the matchup, not just the date. Chargers vs. Rams is the intra-city rivalry. Both teams call SoFi home. Both fan bases are rooted in the same city. Preseason or not, this one means something.

*All NFL preseason prices are default-fallback estimates, not live secondary-market quotes.

The three-night Thursday-Sunday structure works well here. NFL Thursday evening. Friday open. USC Saturday noon, out of the Coliseum by mid-afternoon with the evening clear.

That rhythm is harder to find than it sounds. Most multi-game weekends demand either a same-day sprint between venues or back-to-back nights with no recovery. This one is already spaced.

SoFi Stadium sits at Hollywood Park in Inglewood. The LA Memorial Coliseum is in Exposition Park, roughly 12 miles east. Without traffic, that's 20-25 minutes. With LA traffic, plan longer.

Since the games fall on different days, you don't run both venues in one push. Drive or rideshare each time separately.

SoFi game-day checklist (Aug 27):

Clear bag policy: bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC, no larger than 12" x 6" x 12". Small clutches up to 4" x 6" x 2" are permitted. Once you exit, you cannot re-enter. Buy parking before game day; prices go up on-site. Tailgating is allowed in designated parking zones with specific rules on grill setup.

Coliseum game-day checklist (Aug 29):

Venue policy data for the LA Memorial Coliseum is not available here. Research bag rules, parking, and re-entry directly through USC Athletics before you go. The noon kickoff means you are out by mid-afternoon.

Do not assume SoFi's policies carry over to the Coliseum. They operate independently.

The NFL ticket at $220 is the real budget anchor, tied for the cheapest of the three LA NFL preseason dates. The Rams-Saints game on August 22 runs $303 by the same estimate method. Getting in the Chargers-Rams door at $220 is a reasonable entry point in a market where regular-season Chargers tickets average $275 and Rams tickets average $295.

USC ticket pricing is not yet in the index. That's the unknown variable in the trip floor. Check it before you build your total around the NFL ticket.

Hotel rates at $261/night are planning medians. LAX corridor hotels minimize your drive to SoFi; Downtown puts you equidistant between both venues and lets you reach the Coliseum on Metro. Expect rates to move as August approaches.

The compact window (Aug 27-29, 3 nights, 2 games) is the recommendation. You see both football environments, both neighborhoods, both venue eras, and you're home before the week starts.

If you have the PTO and want more volume, extending to August 20 adds two NFL preseason games at SoFi:

*Default-fallback estimates.

Four games across 10 days is a different trip. The per-game hotel cost comes down; the total spend and the vacation days go up. Three of the four games are at the same venue. The per-game value calculation tilts toward the compact window unless you have a specific reason to stay longer.

The straightforward test: if airfare to LA is the expensive part of this trip, the compact window gets you both venue experiences for one round trip. The extended window only wins if you were already planning a longer LA stay.

SportCation cross-referenced NFL preseason schedules with NCAAFB opener dates for the Los Angeles market to surface windows where both fall in the same city in the same weekend. The August 27-29 window is the one match in 2026.

All three NFL preseason prices are default-fallback estimates from secondary-market floor data, not face value. USC ticket pricing is not in the index and should be verified independently before booking. Hotel rates are medians from a recent sample; treat $261 as a planning baseline, not a booking quote.

The LA Memorial Coliseum has no venue policy data available here. Confirm bag policy, parking, and re-entry rules with USC Athletics directly before game day.

Don't just watch, Go.