Where is everybody? USC football opens season to empty LA Coliseum

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LOS ANGELES — No. 14 Southern California kicked off its highly anticipated 2026 season in Week 0, but scorching weather has resulted in a sparse crowd at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

The stadium wasn’t filled much when the Trojans and Spartans kicked off at noon local time on Saturday, Aug. 29.

While you would think there would be plenty of reason to turn up for USC’s season opener, there are factors at play it doesn’t have much control of. 

The game comes as it’s been one of the hottest times in Southern California in 2026, with much higher than usual humidity levels worsening the effects outside. It’s why the U.S. National Weather Service issued an extreme heat advisory for much of the region. Temperature at kick off was 94 degrees, with a real feel temperature of 104 degrees, according to AccuWeather. 

Given the temperature and the lack of shade inside the Coliseum, as well as the small interest in an opponent like San Jose State, it’s easy to understand why not many people are in the stands for the game. 

While the stadium does look emptier than it should be, the crowd has grown as the game went on, presuming people waited out until the game actually started to be in their seats. The student section in the northeast corner of the stadium has filled in noticeably since the game started, with that part of the stadium looking nearly what is expected for a USC crowd.

The emptiest part is on the west side of the stadium.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Where is everybody? USC football opens season to empty LA Coliseum

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