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USC Trojans' Home Crowd Sparks Controversy Again vs. Fresno State

The USC Trojans fired off another attendance debate again following their widely criticized Week 0 home crowd.
Lorenzo Reyna|
Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the game against the San Jose State Spartans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley during the game against the San Jose State Spartans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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USC TrojansFresno State Bulldogs

LOS ANGELES - The USC Trojans placed home attendance into the spotlight before their Fresno State showdown.

USC played under near triple-digit heat on Aug. 29 with San Jose State in town. Yet the game didn't draw a sellout plus sparked criticism over the lack of fan interest for the Week 0 opener.

Less than 52,000 fans took in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which seats more than 77,500. Coaches like Texas Tech's Joey McGuire even secretly poked fun at USC's home crowd, vowing that more fans would attend its contest in Lubbock, Texas, even amid the humidity inside the venue.

Once again, the crowd became a pregame factor for USC before tangling with the Bulldogs. Only this time, the scene looked very different for this primetime contest during a Friday primetime game set on Sept. 4 during Labor Day weekend.

Closer Look at USC vs. Fresno State Crowd

Jayden Maiava USC Trojans Fresno State Bulldogs San Jose State Spartans Taylor Johnson Matt Entz Lincoln Riley
Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) and linebacker Taylor Johnson (50) react in the second half against the San Jose State Spartans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This time USC welcomed a "red wave" into the historic Coliseum. Fresno State's fan base traveled down either Highway 99 or Highway 101 and Interstate 10 to help claim seats.

That contingent came out in full force to support the visiting team and former USC linebackers coach turned Bulldogs head coach Matt Entz. But USC managed to counter this time with more fans.

Here was the scene at least an hour before kickoff for Fresno State at USC:

Here was the crowd right before the opening kickoff at approximately 6:05 p.m. PT, showing way more fans compared to the SJSU contest:

However, this field video of the crowd fuels the renewed controversy for the interest in USC football among fans.

Granted, some of the Fresno State faithful featured fans of players who represent Los Angeles. The Bulldogs' previous coaches Jeff Tedford and Tim Skipper hit up USC's backyard to lure in talent via the recruiting trail. Starting wide receiver Jahlil McClain was one from Fresno State's side, who once starred for St. John Bosco in Bellflower near the Trojans. Starting Fresno State running back Rayshon Luke rose as another who came with St. John Bosco ties too, as he played in a homecoming contest.

Yet the rest of Fresno State's fanbase traveled down from various Central Valley cities like Clovis (especially for starting quarterback Jayden Mandal, who's from the neighboring city to Fresno), and other neighboring Valley communities like Tulare, Visalia, and Lemoore.

NFL Representative Part of USC vs. Fresno State Attendance

USC Trojans Trent Mosley Fresno State Bulldogs San Jose State Spartans Matt Entz Lincoln Riley Jayden Maiava
Aug 29, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans wide receiver Trent Mosley (4) carries the ball against the San Jose State Spartans at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Once again, USC's Week 0 attendance emerged as a hot-button topic among fans, social media, and national analysts. Even Los Angeles-region media personalities Colin Cowherd and Jim Rome chimed in, with Rome the most critical, sharing how LA presents multiple entertainment avenues outside of a USC game.

But this crowd featured some notable NFL names on both sides. Beginning with famed USC wide receivers Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane, who took in the action before their NFL careers began.

But Fresno State drew out a notable star too, who's in proximity to the Trojans: LA Chargers offensive lineman Jacob Spomer, who was on the Bulldog sidelines beforehand. Even famed Bulldogs and Los Angeles Rams teammates Davante Adams and Ronnie Rivers took the action in. So USC versus Fresno State drew a somewhat larger crowd compared to Week 0 featuring NFL names. But the venue still featured lot of empty seats including in the upper decks.

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Lorenzo Reyna
LORENZO REYNA

Lorenzo J Reyna is a sports writer for USC Trojans On SI and Colorado Buffaloes On SI. He brings nearly two decades of sports writing experience, including coverage of Cal, Stanford, San Jose State and Fresno State for 247Sports. He also wrote about an incoming high school freshman named Jayden Daniels before he won the Heisman Trophy and led the Washington Commanders. Also known as "Zo" to his colleagues, his other writing credits include ClutchPoints, Athlon Sports, Roundtable, the Santa Maria Times and freelanced once for the Los Angeles Times. He enjoys living near a beach, having multiple cups of coffee, and listening to old school R&B/Hip-Hop in his down time.

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