Lincoln Riley’s experience at USC football has taken Trojan fans on a rollercoaster of hope and nerves. Since assuming the program in 2022, Riley brought a lot of hype, particularly with his history of constructing explosive offenses and securing premier recruits. The first year was a giant step from 4-8 to 11-3, and having a Heisman-winning quarterback such as Caleb Williams back on the national stage. Riley is now recruiting all players, and with a new $200 million football performance center on the horizon, there’s a feeling that the Trojans are preparing to make a serious bid to return to their glory years. Their 2025 schedule isn’t a joke either, with huge games against Michigan, Notre Dame, and Oregon, so it’s certainly a season to pay close attention to.
Talk about large campus events, USC recently had its 2025 commencement exercise in a format more akin to a football game than a conventional graduation. Rather than the customary Alumni Park, the ceremony was held in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, filled with 35,000 spectators. The energy was palpable, complete with vendors shouting, pom-poms waving, and the USC fight song ringing out as night descended. Adding to the celebration, none other than Snoop Dogg, a proud USC alumnus and iconic rapper, was a special guest at the ceremony.
You could just sense the vibe in the Coliseum rev up the instant Snoop Dogg hit the stage at USC graduation. I mean, who else could turn a commencement address into a West Coast block party? Sharp-dressed and sporting those iconic Snoop shades, he wore that signature swagger, but a lot of heart as well. He imparted three keywords to the graduating batch, which was indeed the climax of the ceremony.
“Today, I would like you to do 3 things: stay humble, never forget where you came from. Stay holy, keep that fire in your soul. And stay true, always be real with yourself, and the world, because the world needs no copies, it needs originals.”
Snoop began by addressing the graduates with a huge shout-out, calling them “the real MVPs” for having survived all the late nights, tests, and whatever else college throws at you. But Snoop also got honest for a second, discussing how important it is to be true to yourself and not afraid to go down the road less traveled, something he knows a thing or two about. And in signature Snoop style, he topped it all off with a message of spreading love and goodness, urging everyone to “go out there and make the world a little bit cooler, one step at a time.” The video came out as an Instagram reel, and the comment section went into an absolute “awe.”
How Snoop fired up the fans with his speech
Browsing through the comments on that Snoop Dogg commencement speech clip, it’s obvious everyone was enjoying every moment of it! Loads of people were commenting about how refreshing it was to listen to someone so genuine and earthy at graduation. “Love this man:).” Everyone enjoyed the way he kept it light yet still delivered some solid life lessons without being preachy. “Great advice.”
Many fans were excited about how Snoop infused that West Coast flavor that’s iconic to the ceremony, so it didn’t feel as much like a stuffy affair but more like a celebration of culture and community. “Realest shit ever spoken” and “This is the energy every school needs” type comments filled social media. His presence made the entire event a heck of a lot more memorable for the graduates and the people watching.
The public also loved how Snoop acknowledged the students for working through the hard times, and it touched them too, particularly with all that is happening in the world today. “Thank you so much, this touched me You encouraged me to move forward!.” Most stated that his speech inspired them and renewed their hopes, not only for the grads but for anyone pursuing their aspirations.
Some even shared how his speech made them consider enrolling in school again or even just keep fighting stronger in life. It’s great to see how his words aren’t just empty hype, they’re getting people to keep working. And of course, there were a lot of comments rejoicing at the fact that a USC legend returned to inspire the next generation. “Fight On ” was a favorite shout-out.
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