The USC Trojans opened up their 2026 college football season with a Week 0 matchup against San Jose State this past Saturday. There were a glaring number of empty seats at LA Memorial Coliseum as the Trojans began their year as the No. 14 ranked team in the nation, sparking criticism from fans and analysts around the college football world. This backlash sparked public comments from head coach Lincoln Riley and the school itself.
People are gonna pay attention. People are gonna have an opinion. It’s part of being a blue blood school.
I don’t buy into the false narrative," Riley told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday. "I think that comes from a lot of people who don’t follow our program. Most of them have never stepped foot into The Coliseum.
Reality is that during my years here, attendance has gone up every year." "We understand the factors that impacted Saturday's attendance," USC said in its statement. "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 Trojans will continue their season with a night-game matchup against Fresno State on Friday, kicking off at 9 p.m.
ET from LA Memorial Coliseum.
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