USC’s Lincoln Riley fires back at critics of Week 0 attendance with savage clapback

The illustrious USC football program drew few fans to its season opener on Aug. 29. In the opening game against San Jose State University, the legendary Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum was nearly empty, with 51,144 fans.

The Coliseum can host 77,500 spectators. For comparison, the most attended season opener was against San Jose State in 2009, with 84,325 fans.

Extreme heat was deemed the culprit. Kickoff was at noon California time, which doesn’t bode well in intense humidity.

Though the Trojans won 42-26, the stigma still hangs over. USC had to issue a statement to control the damage.

On Tuesday, head coach Lincoln Riley came to the program’s aid during a post-practice press conference, per Ryan Kartje of The Los Angeles Times.

“I think that comes from a lot of people who don’t follow our program, most of those who have never stepped foot in the Coliseum,” Riley said. “The reality is during my years here attendance has gone up every single year”

Lincoln Riley responded to the reaction around USC’s Week 0 attendance:

“I think that comes from a lot of people who don’t follow our program, most of those who have never stepped foot in the Coliseum. The reality is during my years here attendance has gone up every single year” pic.twitter.com/vAZDwW4dKr

— Ryan Kartje (@RyanKartje) September 2, 2026

Riley is in the midst of his 5th season as head coach. According to the Los Angeles Almanac, the average home attendance for USC football was 67, 782. Their five-year average was 65,038.

It also marks the lowest-attended game of Riley’s tenure and the lowest since 2018.

The Coliseum has hosted USC football since 1923. It is also a historic venue that has hosted various sporting and cultural events, including the Opening/Closing ceremonies and track and field for the 1984 Olympics.

The next game played at the Coliseum is scheduled for Friday, Sept. 4 against Fresno State University. It is scheduled for 6:00 pm California time, and temperatures are expected to be 83 degrees during the day and 65 degrees at night.

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