‘Not a Real College Football Town’ – Colin Cowherd Takes Shot at Alabama’s Attendance for Week 1 Game vs. East Carolina
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Attendance continues to be a hot topic at the start of the 2026 college football season, with fans now debating Alabama’s crowd after photos showed empty sections late during its season opener against East Carolina.
Alabama came away with a dominant 48-10 win in Tuscaloosa. Sports personality Colin Cowherd took to his social media to poke fun at the Crimson Tide’s crowd inside Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Colin Cowherd Slams the Alabama Crowd as “Disgraceful”
Alabama’s official attendance figure told one story, as they announced a sellout crowd, while the late-game images told another. Cowherd seized on that visual contrast and delivered a sharp jab at the Crimson Tide.
“Alabama attendance is disgraceful. Not a real college football town,” wrote Cowherd.
If any fan base knows about the scrutiny of low attendance rates to kick off 2026, it’s the USC Trojans, who, in back-to-back weeks, faced in-state opponents and failed to pack the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Fans made the attendance a major talking point despite USC’s wins against both San Jose State and Fresno State, focusing on the Trojans’ inability to fill their stadium amid immense hype surrounding the team and Heisman hopeful quarterback Jayden Maiava.
Given that Cowherd frequently defends USC, it certainly seems like he was trying to make a point by calling out Alabama’s attendance with a tongue-in-cheek post. Regardless, Crimson Tide fans quickly noticed Cowherd’s comments and bombarded him with replies defending the school.
“Not only was the attendance DOUBLE that of USC, but it was also the hottest game in the history of the stadium! You are officially a clown,” replied an X user.
“Nice try…” said another user who shared a fan’s view at kickoff that appeared to show a much fuller stadium.
One Alabama fan accused Cowherd of sharing a late-game stadium view and claimed the photo was taken with just two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
“This was in the 4th quarter with 2 mins left btw,” they wrote.
“I see what your trying to do, and you’re failing,” replied another Alabama fan.
PREDICT THE CFB SEASON:PFN’s Free CFB Playoff Predictor
“For a commentator who prides himself on honesty, this deception is disgraceful. If he was joking then ok, although some scrollers will believe this and not realize there was 100k when it was competitive,” stated one fan.
Cowherd has not publicly addressed the backlash, so fans will have to see whether he comments on the Alabama and USC crowds on his radio show “The Herd.”
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos