Aug. 31, 2026, 5:53 p.m. PT
On Saturday, USC opened up its 2026 season by handling San Jose State 42-26 at the Coliseum. With the victory, the Trojans started off the year 1-0.
One of the talking points following the game had nothing to do with what happened on the field itself, but rather in the crowd. Due to extremely hot temperatures, an early kickoff, and not exactly a marquee opponent, the Trojans drew their lowest attendance in nearly eight years.
On Sunday, USC issued a statement to USA TODAY regarding the Coliseum crowd.
“We understand the factors that impacted Saturday’s attendance,” the statement read. “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 good news is that the factors that played into Saturday’s low attendance should not be a problem the rest of the season. The bad news, however, is that the Trojans play a Friday game this week against Fresno State, which also typically tend to draw smaller crowds.
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