USC Draws 51,144 for Opener as Heat and Apathy Leave Thousands of Seats Empty
Updated
Updated · CBS Sports · Aug 30
USC Draws 51,144 for Opener as Heat and Apathy Leave Thousands of Seats Empty
3 articles · Updated · CBS Sports · Aug 30
Summary
Thousands of empty seats greeted USC's season opener at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, even though the school announced attendance of 51,144.
Mid-90s heat and a heat index above 100 kept some fans away, but the sparse crowd also reflected broader apathy around a noon kickoff against overmatched San Jose State.
Lincoln Riley enters the season with a $12.5 million salary, a $200 million football facility, a Heisman-caliber quarterback and USC's first No. 1 recruiting class in more than 20 years.
Those assets have not erased frustration from missed playoff expectations, defensive lapses, uneven Big Ten results and rivalry disappointments under Riley.
USC's next real attendance test may come Sept. 26 against Oregon; if a high-stakes unbeaten matchup still fails to fill the Coliseum, the program's hold on Los Angeles will look weaker.