Southern California began its season with a victory Saturday, but the scene surrounding it left the school wanting more.
Two days after large sections of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum sat empty for the No. 14 Trojans’ 42-26 win over San Jose State, USC acknowledged the disappointing turnout and called for stronger attendance over the remainder of its home schedule.
The announced crowd of 51,144 was the smallest for a home game since Lincoln Riley became USC’s coach in 2022.
“We understand the factors that impacted Saturday’s attendance,” USC said in a statement Monday. “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 most obvious factor was the weather.
The noon kickoff coincided with excessive heat in Los Angeles, with temperatures climbing into the mid-90s and the heat index surpassing 100 degrees. The National Weather Service had a heat advisory in effect for Los Angeles County through Saturday evening.
USC attempted to make conditions more manageable by adding cooling stations and fans and by allowing spectators to bring additional water into the stadium. Even so, many attendees periodically left their seats for shaded areas of the Coliseum.
“I didn’t like it,” USC defensive tackle Jide Abasiri said of the conditions. “Being from Minnesota, snow games are my preference over the super hot games.”
The turnout represented a notable decline from USC’s 2025 opener, when an announced 62,841 watched the Trojans host Missouri State in a late-afternoon game.
USC won’t have to wait long for another opportunity to fill the Coliseum.
The Trojans return home Friday night against Fresno State, with the later kickoff offering considerably different circumstances for fans.