USC began its 2026 campaign with a convincing win, but the atmosphere inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum became another talking point. The Trojans entered the season with major expectations, yet thousands of seats appeared empty during their opener against San Jose State.
That contrast raised questions about the program’s connection with its fan base. It also gave Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy plenty to say about USC’s standing in college football.
Dave Portnoy Rips USC Attendance and Questions Trojans’ Tier 1 Status
Portnoy did not accept the heat as a sufficient explanation for the sparse crowd. Speaking on “Wake Up With Barstool,” he argued that a major college football program should be able to draw a strong audience despite difficult conditions.
“If I go to USC and I’m a player and I’m a five-star, I don’t care, the recruit, this is an automatic Forrest Gump situation. You run on the field, you just keep running to the opposite tunnel, and when you come out, you’re in different colors,” Portnoy said.
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His point centered on the message an empty stadium can send to recruits. USC remains one of the sport’s most recognizable programs, and Portnoy believes the setting should reflect that reputation when players arrive for games.
“I don’t care how much they’re paying you to go play in front. This is a disgrace. Don’t give me heat, don’t give me start early,” Portnoy added.
The criticism followed USC’s 42-26 victory over San Jose State, which came with an announced crowd of 51,144 at a venue with a capacity of 77,500. Television shots showed large sections of vacant seats, creating an even starker picture than the announced figure suggested.
The crowd for the USC opener was an absolute disgrace. You can’t consider them a tier one college football program if that’s how you open the season pic.twitter.com/eOvohM6U9R
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) August 31, 2026
Portnoy also rejected the idea that the weather alone explained the turnout. He pointed to other college football markets dealing with high temperatures and argued that fans elsewhere would still fill stadiums for their teams.
“If you’re a real college football team, this doesn’t happen in a million years. It’s an absolute disgrace,” Portnoy said. “Now, USC obviously is a power program, great fight song, great colors, great uniform, great everything.”
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He acknowledged that USC could have a strong season, but he questioned whether the program belongs in the sport’s top tier if its home opener looks like this.
Portnoy said, “They may be very good this year, but that is disgusting, and you can’t consider them a Tier 1 college football program if that’s how they’re going to open the season. You just can’t, disgusting.”
The schedule gives USC an immediate chance to change the conversation. Fresno State and Louisiana are next at the Coliseum, with both games scheduled for evening kickoffs. Oregon, Washington and, Ohio State later provide marquee Big Ten matchups that should bring much larger crowds, while Maryland closes the home schedule in November.
These games will offer a clearer test of whether the Week 0 turnout was mainly a product of the timing, opponent, and weather, or a sign of something bigger surrounding USC football.
