Kirk Herbstreit Blasts USC Fans After Embarrassing San Jose State Attendance

All those empty seats is not what you expect at the season opener of a marquee college football program like USC.

USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Days after USC played its first game of the 2026 college football season in what looked like a more than half empty stadium, the discourse is still arguing about it.

Was it too hot? Too early? A lousy opponent? Lack of faith in Lincoln Riley? Whatever current thing people are angry about appears to be the reason why the famed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum looked curiously sparse during the Trojans’ debut.

Whatever the reason, it isn’t good enough for Kirk Herbstreit, who took USC supporters to task for not showing up at the first game of the year.

Herbie: ‘Get your ass’ to the game

“First of all, USC fans: I don’t care what time the game is. I don’t care what the deal is. I don’t care how hot it is. Get your ass to the Coliseum,” Herbstreit said bluntly on Nonstop.

Technically, the school said 51,144 people paid to watch the Trojans beat up on San Jose State, but viewers’ eyes told a different story.

Didn’t realize USC’s spring game was today. pic.twitter.com/UB10IaZSdU

— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) August 29, 2026

“I mean, that’s embarrassing for USC to play in front of a half empty stadium, and you’re going to jump on the bandwagon because this team is going to be in the mix for the Big Ten. They’re going to play in a lot of big games. So let’s get out to the Coliseum and watch this team,” Herbstreit added.

USC responds to the unwanted attention

Facing a tidal wave of negative reaction, the school even put out a statement addressing the issue.

“We understand the factors that impacted Saturday’s attendance. 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,” read the statement, which Paul Finebaum joked sounded like it was originated by AI.

One of those factors genuinely could be the weather. The game was played at a time when the area is experiencing some very high temperatures and worse humidity – feel-like temps around 104 at game-time – leading the National Weather Service to declare an extreme heat advisory. 

That didn’t stop fans of other programs, particularly those in the SEC, from saying that mere heat and humidity wouldn’t stop them from attending their team’s games, and considering the weather in that part of the country, they just might be right.

USC fans have been supportive

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Despite the team’s subpar performance over the last several seasons, the notable thing about USC is that its fans have been there for the program.

Just last season, the Trojans were one of the most well attended tickets in college football, averaging exactly 67,783 paying spectators at the Coliseum for home games, ranking among the 25 best in FBS, against a capacity of more than 77,000.

This year should find some attractive matchups at home, too, with USC playing host to the current two highest-ranked teams in the country – No. 1 Ohio State and No. 2 Oregon – in addition to 17th ranked Washington.

(Herbstreit)