USC’s first female soccer scholarship endowed by Will Ferrell


USC alumnus Will Ferrell and his wife, Viveca Paulin, endowed the University’s first full women’s soccer scholarship through a gift to USC Athletics, the University announced on Tuesday.

The Viveca Paulin and Will Ferrell Scholarship Fund aims to help USC recruit female students who are exceptional soccer players. Scholarships make up a large component of USC Athletics’ annual budget, which totals over $19 million.

“We are fortunate to have Will and Viveca in our Trojan Family,” USC President C.L. Max Nikias told USC News. “From the beginning, they have understood the importance of scholarships and wanted to commit their resources to touch students’ lives and strengthen USC through the quality of our student body.”

The Viveca Paulin and Will Ferrell Scholarship isn’t the only option for recruiting student athletes. In 2012, USC Athletics created the Heritage Initiative, a fundraising drive with the goal of raising $1 million for each of the 283 scholarships provided for USC’s 21 varsity sports.

USC women’s soccer has consistently been ranked among the nation’s best, and the team won the NCAA Division I National Championship in 2016.

Ferrell graduated from USC in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in sports information. Since then, he and his wife have continued to donate to the University, including causes like Cancer for College and Swim with Mike. In May, Ferrell was the main speaker at USC’s 134th commencement ceremony.