Lincoln Riley defends USC as poor fan attendance becomes a topic

Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Lincoln Riley defends USC as poor fan attendance becomes a topic

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Sep 1, 2026 10:49 PM ET

The USC Trojans said just over 51,000 showed up to their first game of the season, a 42-26 win over the San Jose State Spartans.

It looked like a lot less, though, and whatever number of fans showed up in Week 0 was made to look a lot smaller by The Coliseum's ability to fit 77,000.

It looked empty. And yes, it was Week 0, and yes, it was hot, but these are the Trojans we're talking about.

It was embarrassing for USC, and it was so bad that even head coach Lincoln Riley's peers were taking shots at him.

"Not to take any shots, because I have a lot of respect for USC and Lincoln Riley, but it's really awesome to be playing in Lubbock, Texas, knowing we're going to be playing in front of 60,000, it's going to be warm, it's going to be every bit as warm as it was Saturday," Texas Tech Red Raiders head coach Joey McGuire said. "The great thing is we got some really tough people in West Texas that love their football and they're going to show up, and no matter what the weather's like, there's not going to be any excuse of why they're not going to be here for us."

Joey McGuire gave his thoughts on playing in front of a sold out stadium full of Texas Tech fans this Saturday.

"Not to take any shots, because I have a lot of respect for USC and Lincoln Riley, but it's really awesome to be playing in Lubbock, Texas, knowing we're going to be… pic.twitter.com/Kn9ez9xqFq
— Justin Margolius (@JustinMargolius) August 31, 2026

That's what USC and Riley are dealing with, but the fifth-year Trojans head coach is pushing back at the critics.

He's not taking it lying down, and in fact, he likes the spotlight on his team.

“This is USC right? People are gonna pay attention. People are gonna have an opinion. It’s part of being a blue blood school. I don’t buy into the false narrative,” Riley said after practice on Tuesday (h/t On3). “I think that comes from a lot of people who don’t follow our program. Most of them have never stepped foot into The Coliseum."

Lincoln Riley boasts about USC's home record

Riley is standing on business, and for him, that includes attendance numbers, but more importantly for a head coach, USC's undefeated record at home last season.

“Reality is that during my years here, attendance has gone up every year. As has our play in The Coliseum, including running the table last year with a lot of epic atmospheres. I expect that to happen again this year," Riley said.

To be fair, USC's Week 0 game kicked off at noon local time and it was in the middle of a heat advisory. The Trojans' Week 2 game against Fresno State is scheduled for Friday night, and it's supposed to be really nice.

Especially after all the heat the Trojans have taken this past week, you can bet The Coliseum is going to be packed.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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