That's not the fan base head coach Lincoln Riley has grown to love.In fact, he dismissed the poor attendance as a "false narrative" and expects plenty of USC fans in the stands this season.A USC cheerleader holds a portable fan in an attempt to battle the oppressive heat prior to a college football game between the USC Trojans and the San Jose State Spartans on Aug.
29, 2026, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)"I think that comes from a lot of people who don’t follow our program, most of those who have never stepped foot in the Coliseum," Riley said, the LA Times reports.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom."The reality is, during my years here, attendance has gone up every single year.
As has our play in the Coliseum, including running the table last year in front of a lot of epic atmospheres.And I expect that to happen again this year."USC fans in the student section cheer during a football game between the USC Trojans and the San Jose State Spartans on Aug.
29, 2026, at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, Calif.(Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)Good news for Riley.
On Saturday night, as the Trojans took on Louisiana-Lafayette at home, attendance didn’t appear to be a problem.There were plenty of fans in the stands as the team improved to 3-0.ALL EYES WERE ON USC TO SEE IF THE TROJANS COULD BOUNCE BACK FROM NIGHTMARE TINY CROWD AT SEASON OPENERThe problem was keeping all of those fans together and focused on why they were there.
Obviously, to watch their team win, but sometimes winning isn't enough.Sometimes fans have scores to settle.The fact that the fans root for the same team doesn’t always keep them from having scores to settle or from trading punches.
That was the case for USC fans in the stands watc...