# USC responds to empty crowd in Week 0 win, expects better attendance

> **Open Intelligence Dossier** · First detected: 2026-08-31 00:07 UTC · Category: Sports

## Executive Summary
USC celebrates a Week 0 victory over San Jose State while facing intense scrutiny over a sparsely populated LA Coliseum.

## Intelligence Brief
The University of Southern California secured a victory against San Jose State in their Week 0 season opener, but the win was overshadowed by a lack of fans in the stands. According to coverage from AL.com, images of the empty LA Coliseum went viral, prompting a direct reaction from the university regarding the poor attendance. While the team succeeded on the field, the visible void in the stadium has become a central talking point of the opening weekend. The athletic program has since responded to the situation, expressing expectations that attendance levels will improve in future matchups. Multiple outlets are focusing on the implications of the empty seats. Yahoo Sports has questioned whether the terrible attendance is a significant issue and reported that some view the low turnout as a cryptic message directed at head coach Lincoln Riley.


Specifically, reports suggest the lack of crowd support may be linked to perceived betrayals of major college football traditions. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times provided first impressions from the season opener, noting that the game took place during steamy weather conditions in Los Angeles. On the competitive side of the event, the coverage highlights individual performances and team efficiency. Yahoo Sports featured discussions with Jayden Maiava and Jide Abasiri regarding the victory over San Jose State. Simultaneously, 247Sports provided a deep dive into the USC offense, using a numbers-based analysis to break down how the team performed during the game. These reports balance the narrative between the program's on-field productivity and the organizational struggle to fill the LA Coliseum for a non-conference opener.


Moving forward, observers are monitoring whether the USC administration and coaching staff can reverse the attendance trend. The primary focus remains on whether the viral images of the empty stadium will impact the atmosphere of subsequent home games. While the offense showed promise in the statistical analysis provided by 247Sports, the overarching narrative continues to be the disconnect between the team's performance and the fan presence. Further reports are expected to track if attendance figures rise as the season progresses beyond the Week 0 window.

## Multi-Source Evidence Table
| Source Outlet | Headline | Verification URL |
|---|---|---|
| Yahoo Sports | ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit brutally honest on USC-San Jose State attendance with central blame | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxPTzdmREpkV2pkaTNHLU8xaklSUnRZV0ZfVGhJd1QxdkhPMVMtZGRfV21iYVFZQ1FwZTA5RUU2aVM0ZGh0NHZhRlJ3LVFkWFJuZXVnS1dMOUhNYURfMmxyYU05ZkgyUnNoRlVPTzRnN1lrVWE5RHBqa1FxTVphNFRweElyZnJvUW1acGw2a2c5dw?oc=5) |
| Yahoo Sports | ‘Absolute Disgrace’ — Barstool’s Dave Portnoy Doesn’t Mince Words on USC’s Disappointing Crowd Situation in Week 0 | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikgFBVV95cUxOQ08wNVJyOHk3Q0NwVmc4Zm91cGEtZS0tM1EwWWs3MVZTSVl0RUJEMmxNblgzZEowYUwtdS1pTmFIRXJyQnBJdXFtMldDclZOU1RFVWd6QmxUQVh1UEhGbjdDc0tCemwxNzY3Mmt2ZXBWT3JOZHM2NExFLXlzQVlvOHZsWXBGNWY0YjdXWFA2bWFBQQ?oc=5) |
| Yahoo Sports | Is USC’s terrible Week 0 attendance a big deal? | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihgFBVV95cUxPTU8wUEVzbm91MFZ2dmNhUUpoUXdabGt5SFoxOUowRTBibGE4TUJXQzRBcmpkeENhQnNuNHdZdWZVVzJYZHJodHZIdC14cUp4Q0ZnMEdXQ0Y3VmZTcVlqb20zQXQyZ0E3WEVXc3FWcERnU1BGeHFxLW1hZ09Vc0dhQ1ZTSDhyQQ?oc=5) |
| Los Angeles Times | Times of Troy: First impressions from a steamy USC season opener | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMijwFBVV95cUxPYmYxWlRmOFlIWmwwMndPWlVVTUs3cHlWemVvYzd4N0pzNDl5RXlMZ0hmT2dqWmgtTDkxYUtZOHRZa1lEd2ZiNmlrZV8yTVEyNDNjTTFxOGJPYUVseEJkTHg4ZUVKVTVzMnpyUjNnamJMZTJKV2JJS0c3Y3JfYzc2cWs3VGFCRFJRdzZEcDV5SQ?oc=5) |
| AL.com | USC reacts to poor attendance after empty LA Coliseum goes viral | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiogFBVV95cUxOcnhZZjFJanVxTGFpQmg4UzBiSzhDZC1VX3Fwb1R6d1NpcVpqX1BkMFNOdVZyckdMdFF6aDMzVjRJa0Z5anJVTXlUbnhvWnEzbjUyYVFnZ003VXozV2ZjSWZUaXZxQmd1TjhsV0ROY0gwM1poUGJ6eDRlNmpQTUpETVFENm8ydGs2dExHQWtkdzJxeC1EZU1jTno5LXBpazN4Y2c?oc=5) |
| Yahoo Sports | Jayden Maiava, Jide Abasiri discuss USC’s victory over San Jose State | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiiwFBVV95cUxONFFCNDllU0VIS2lfZ0x6TV8tMUh3ZEtzR0dGal9RalJmTEZ4aXNaZzhzNmF3X1V6T0thMTJoSHhkajA3UTdqQVJHMTdrMnNZaE9BaGZObHJGSDVKamxZZTdLMlE1bTF4RmI0RExLY1FBOHRsNTg5UDE3bTJhVkl3LWpSMFlFSzVQYkdn?oc=5) |
| Yahoo Sports | USC’s Week 0 Attendance a Cryptic Message for Lincoln Riley for Betraying College Football’s Biggest Tradition: Report | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMihAFBVV95cUxNcHpITHpvU1BVRkVJaWprN0pJUXFOcVFjcFBJRUktS25DLWpLOFJjLWlZRmpkc2owQThuU2cxR2d4ZnJVZ2MySW53RXQ2cllZbExjWnVHX3d1RVppWTllVE1uNUVxdk0zamJjb1ZRVGxjaWtTd2tnaTJuT05TYzZKZTV3V04?oc=5) |
| 247Sports | Deep Dive: Analyzing USC's offense by the numbers against San José State | [Source Link](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMi6gFBVV95cUxPNWVGdmpvTGViaWhoN3R2MlB5X1dNY1hocHg1QTBXNDdmZnJlMmtDeXZSVW4zRmJMTjNLaHJkeWV1RXZMTHFPVVpuQk9JZFFHN2U2SmR3b2hCM3RfNkRfYmx0eHQ0UFVnMmJPaDlFSHlVZkw4X0RsSzhESDl5b0tFSGxRZVRpTmgwTl81dWwxb2tCaWg1dWQ2YVJyVmNpOFdINXV6dGhyNFAzSVFlbEt3ODJvbHRFWHowRExXeXVjYWJ1eXdwWi12MTRsTVBNQ3ZBbTU1TW9GUlhEWnI3WUY5emJQa0lKems2cEE?oc=5) |

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*Canonical Source: https://pulse.byoviral.com/trend/2026-08-31/usc-responds-to-empty-crowd-in-week-0-win-expects-better-attendance*