The USC Trojans came into Saturday as a ranked team with a new building and a national TV slot. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum did not look the part. USC still beat San Jose State, but the empty seats became the part the school had to answer.

USC has now addressed the low turnout for its 2026 season opener. The Trojans won 42-26 on August 29, and the announced crowd was 51,144. The Coliseum is listed at 77,500 seats. Many reporters said the stadium looked about one-third full at kickoff. 

It was USC’s smallest announced home-opener crowd since at least 2009. The same San Jose State game drew 63,411 in 2023 and 84,325 in 2009. Last year’s opener against Missouri State on August 30, 2025, was announced at 62,841. USC averaged about 67,783 across seven regular-season Coliseum games in 2025. Saturday’s game had about 16,600 below last year’s opener. 

USC already had a heat plan in place during the game. There were extra cooling stations and cooling fans. The school also eased the rules to allow fans to bring in more water. After the game, the athletic department put out this statement. 

“We understand the factors that impacted Saturday’s attendance. 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.”

The conditions that day were severe. The temperature at kickoff was 94°F, with the Athletic citing a 110°F heat index. Los Angeles was under a National Weather Service extreme-heat advisory, with humidity making the air feel heavier than usual. 

The Coliseum has almost no shade. People who went called the seats “hot plates” and the bowl a “sauna.” Resale tickets dropped to about $6 to $18. Cost was not what kept people away.

USC joined the Big Ten in part for the reach that comes with the league. Saturday was on NBC and Peacock. It was the first San Jose State game NBC had ever carried. USC entered the day ranked No. 14, with a roster and a new $200 million facility. 

The Trojans got the win they needed, but the stands still left an open question about how this place will look when the opponent is not a 40-point dog. 

The bigger test is still ahead

Lincoln Riley did not use his post-game podium to explain the empty seats. He stayed on the performance. “Good to get the first one under our belt. But kind of a tale of two games for us. … Fourth quarter, not up to our standards.”

His more relevant comments on crowds came in late 2025. “I understand that Los Angeles is a place that people aren’t going to show up just because. You have to win. You have to give them something. And when you do, there’s no better sports town. … Great programs have a great home-field advantage. It’s worth a lot in this game. And that didn’t exist here for a little while. It does now.”

A USC spokesman told The Athletic the school got “a lot of feedback” after Saturday. Weather was the main theme, and USC had already surveyed more than 8,000 fans and rolled out new gameday promotions for 2026. 

The Rams-Chargers preseason game the night before, in the same city, distributed 63,752 tickets. That was more than USC announced for its opener.

The football itself was not the reason people stayed home. Jayden Maiava went 25-of-29 for 286 yards. He threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score. USC led 35-3 after three quarters. Backups then gave up 23 points in the fourth.  

Home dates against Oregon, Washington, and Ohio State will give a clear idea. Those games have a different pull and give people a reason to sit in the sun and sit in traffic.