Trojans history speaks for itself

With spending on intercollegiate athletics at an all-time high, universities around the country will stop at nothing to put themselves ahead of the pack. Whether it’s state-of-the-art facilities or flashy, over-the-top jerseys, colleges will do everything in their power to win the arms race.

The concept of an arms race in collegiate sports, also known as exorbitant spending on intercollegiate athletics, has been around for quite some time. The concept has become increasingly popular as of late with the success of schools like Oregon and Boise State. Both schools struggled historically in football before embracing this new technique.

Oregon, which prides itself on wearing a different jersey combination each game, has become a national powerhouse due to improved recruiting, though a brand-new practice facility didn’t hurt the Ducks, either. Meanwhile, Boise State was able to increase its recruiting efforts and join the national conversation by becoming known for its blue turf and flashy uniforms.

USC, a football powerhouse since the 1930s, has even joined the arms race. In 2012, it opened a brand-new $70 million athletic facility, the John McKay Center, to aid in recruiting, and it worked. Despite heavy sanctions, the Trojans were able to bring in a string of solid freshman classes. Even former coach Lane Kiffin highlighted the importance of improving facilities.

“It does help in recruiting,” Kiffin told NBC Sports in 2012. “It helped with last year’s class, just them knowing that this process was being done, that they’d be in that building. It does have an impact on recruiting. It has already had an impact on [the last couple of] classes.”

There is a line that USC must not cross when it comes to the arms race, however. Last week, reports surfaced that the football program was considering new helmets with a drastically changed logo. The Trojan face, which normally sits in the middle of the helmet, would now be blown up and cover the entire helmet, similar to how Arizona State’s pitchfork engulfs their helmet. This came after the deemed success of changing the usual cardinal helmet to a glossy red last season.

Most schools that have embraced changing their uniforms are schools that have struggled historically. Schools like Oregon and Boise State have no history, no championships and before this year, no Heisman winners.

Meanwhile, USC has one of the richest histories with 11 national championships, six Heisman winners and more first-round draft picks than any other school.

The Trojans, however,  have essentially played with the same uniform combination since their inception. The change to “shiny” helmets this past year made me sick to my stomach.

You don’t see other powerhouses such as Alabama, Ohio State or Penn State messing around with uniform changes or shiny helmets. These programs know what their uniform stands for: history.

Flashy uniforms aren’t what sells an athlete to join a program. It’s the years of legacy, the championships, the professional players that all play into that consideration. I recently had the privilege to take a tour of the Coliseum for my journalism class. One area that had a lasting effect on me was the recruiting lounge.

Upon entering the room, you are greeted by a large wall detailing all of USC’s accomplishments. If you turn to the right, you’ll see a wall with all the names of the Heisman winners, from Charles White to Marcus Allen to Matt Leinart. In the large standing area to the left of the entrance, there are pictures of all the USC players currently playing in the NFL.

These are images that resonate with recruits who are considering where to spend their next three to four years.

Instead of changing what has worked for so long, USC should embrace its history, one not many schools can compare with.

As USC showed this year, it can still recruit with the best of the best. There’s no need to jump to a tactic that schools with no winning history have used to try to jump-start their programs.

When it comes to college football, USC is a staple in the minds of many. The Trojans have so many things that sell themselves. If a recruit really cares that much about flashiness, then he isn’t meant for the Trojan lifestyle. USC has and always will be about one thing: winning championships.

Nick Barbarino is a junior majoring in business administration. His column “Beyond the Arc” runs Fridays.