USC opened its 2026 college football season at home with a dominant victory, but the scene in the stands drew nearly as much attention as the scoreboard. The No. 14 Trojans beat San Jose State handily, leading 28-0 at halftime and cruising to a 35-3 advantage by the fourth quarter. Yet photos and video from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum showed vast stretches of empty seats, prompting sharp criticism from fans and commentators who called the turnout an embarrassment for a program with national title ambitions.
The sparse crowd became a talking point almost immediately after kickoff. Critics noted that the Trojans, ranked in the top 15, were playing their first game in eight months and still could not fill the historic venue. Some observers pointed to the opponent, San Jose State, as a less marquee matchup, while others cited the 92-degree heat as a possible deterrent. But the general sentiment was that a program of USC's stature, with its storied history and current ranking, should expect better attendance for a home opener.
The optics were particularly awkward given the program's legacy. USC has produced Heisman Trophy winners such as Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart, Carson Palmer, and Caleb Williams, along with defensive greats like Junior Seau, Troy Polamalu, and Ronnie Lott. The Trojans were a national powerhouse for much of the 2000s, drawing massive crowds and dominating the college football landscape. While the program has not reached those heights in recent years, the current team is still ranked 14th in the country and is considered a potential contender for the College Football Playoff.
Commentary on the turnout was blunt. One sports writer described the scene as a tough look for a team supposedly competing for a national championship in a few months. The official attendance figure was not immediately released, and it was unclear whether USC would provide one. The criticism highlighted a broader challenge for Los Angeles as a college football market, which has never matched the fervor of SEC country or other traditional hotbeds of the sport.
The game itself was never in doubt. USC's offense moved the ball at will against San Jose State, and the defense held the Spartans scoreless through the first two quarters. The Trojans' performance on the field was exactly what fans and coaches would have wanted, but the empty seats became the dominant storyline of the afternoon. For a program trying to reestablish itself among the sport's elite, the visual of a half-empty stadium was a reminder that on-field success alone may not be enough to bring the crowds back.