'Absolute disgrace': Why USC became joke of college football with low attendance for home opener

As USC enters the season under pressure to make the College Football Playoff, the Trojans faced a different kind of trouble to begin the year.

USC was one of several teams to play its first game in Week 0, which means it hosted a game in Los Angeles in the middle of August. Those brutal conditions were tough on the players but even tougher on the fans, who seemingly preferred staying home instead of watching the game live.

With such underwhelming attendance at its home opener, USC had to fend off jokes regarding its fans compared to the rest of the country. Here's a look at why Trojans fans were facing criticism after their home opener.

MORE: USC releases statement regarding low attendance

USC football low attendance for home opener

USC opened the season at home in Week 0, a week earlier than most teams, and that appeared to impact attendance to the game. Since it was over 100 degrees in Los Angeles on that day, Trojans fans did not come out in droves to support their team against San Jose State.

The Coliseum at kickoff of USC’s season opener with San Jose State pic.twitter.com/4bOhMY487b

— Ryan Kartje (@RyanKartje) August 29, 2026

Officially, USC announced the attendance at 51,144, the lowest of the Lincoln Riley era and the lowest since the 2018 season. Despite the brutal conditions, USC fans were criticized as many questioned whether the fanbase cased enough about the team. 

The crowd for the USC opener was an absolute disgrace. You can’t consider them a tier one college football program if that’s how you open the season pic.twitter.com/eOvohM6U9R

— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 31, 2026— Exposing SEC Bias (@overrated_sec) August 29, 2026

Didn’t realize USC’s spring game was today. pic.twitter.com/UB10IaZSdU

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) August 29, 2026

Los Angeles is AND isn’t a sports town depending on the team and sport. LA is hardcore, ride or die for the Lakers and Dodgers. Everyone else, it’s hit or miss and depends if they’re winning. USC football and UCLA basketball are blue bloods, but it’s not like the old days. https://t.co/qh03pTslen

— stan verrett (@stanverrett) August 31, 2026

Where does USC football play?

USC plays its home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which also hosts UCLA games during the season and the Rose Bowl in the postseason. The Trojans first began playing at the Coliseum in 1923, making it over 100 years of USC football at the iconic venue.

USC football stadium capacity

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum holds 77,500 during USC home games making it the 18th-biggest stadium in the country by capacity. That means that, for the Trojans's home opener vs. San Jose State, there were over 26,000 empty seats in the stands.

USC football response to low crowd turnout

USC released a statement to USA Today about the low attendance, claiming the lack of crowd was due to the conditions more than anything else.

"We understand the factors that impacted Saturday’s attendance," the statement said. "We have high expectations and a premier home schedule this season, and we know the competitive advantage an electric Coliseum atmosphere can provide our program. We thank our fans who showed up Saturday and look forward to seeing increased attendance the rest of the season."

Additionally, head coach Lincoln Riley downplayed that there was an attendance issue as he believes the attendance continues to get better each year.

— Ryan Kartje (@RyanKartje) September 2, 2026

"This is USC, right? People are gonna pay attention. People are gonna have an opinion. It’s part of being a blue blood school," Riley said. "I don't buy into the false narrative. I think that comes from a lot of people who don't follow our program, most of those have never stepped foot into the Coliseum. The reality is that during my years here, attendance has gone up every year."