The Aporia · USC’s Coliseum crowd looked better — but the empty seats aren’t gone yet

USC’s Coliseum crowd looked better — but the empty seats aren’t gone yet

Read the original at New York Post ↗

Cite

APA MLA Chicago

Duarte, M. (2026, September 5). USC’s Coliseum crowd looked better — but the empty seats aren’t gone yet. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2026/09/04/sports/usc-football-attendance-improves-vs-fresno-state-after-empty-coliseum-backlash/

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

Quick Summary

USC's football game against an unspecified opponent had an announced attendance of 53,014 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which is still below its 77,500-seat capacity despite an increase from their previous opener. The game was played at 6:00 PM PT on a Friday evening during Labor Day weekend, contributing to empty seats early in the game. However, by nightfall, the atmosphere had improved and appeared more lively compared to USC's previous game against San Jose State. This is seen as a reminder that Lincoln Riley's program still has work to do beyond winning football games to attract larger crowds.

Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-05, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

The USC Trojans' season opener against San Jose State drew attention for its small crowd at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The stadium had an announced attendance of 53,014, which is below the 77,500-seat capacity and several thousand fewer than their next game against Fresno State. While it's not entirely unexpected given that it was a Friday before a holiday weekend in Los Angeles, which is notorious for traffic, fans continued to filter into the stadium throughout the first two quarters, filling out the sparse sections at kickoff. The crowd did improve by nightfall, but this lack of attendance remains an issue for the program, particularly for Lincoln Riley, who has yet to reverse the trend despite a promising start to the season with a 42-26 win over San Jose State.

Written for “USC Football Attendance Issues” on 2026-10-21, grounded in this article and the 1 other(s) covering the same event.

Compared with similar articles

This article reads unscored and hedges 0% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

All eyes were on USC to see if the Trojans could bounce back from nightmare tiny crowd at season opener same event · 100%

Fox News

⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 25% hedged 3 of 12 📰 publisher trust 67

“Both articles describe the USC Trojans' game against Fresno State on Friday, September 4th at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.”

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted

sentences that state something as happening or true

Uncertain

0 of 11 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")

Leaning

not political

takes no side on a contested political question

Publisher signals

66/100

New York Post's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.

Outlets on this story

Sports

Same framing elsewhere

articles that frame the event the way this one does

Who wrote this

Michael Duarte

73 article(s) here · 0 carrying a prediction

🔮 For an organization that prides itself on finding answers, the kicking position remains a glaring indictment of its personnel decisions. The Rams have changed kickers frequently and the only question now is how long McManus will last.

2026-10-20 · assertive framing · Rams’ kicking nightmare continues as Sean McVay turns to yet another veteran

🔮 Running back Kyren Williams, asked about the team’s inability to sustain energy between possessions, offered a pointed response, saying he didn’t know because he “wasn’t out there.”

2026-10-19 · assertive framing · Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua deliver sobering messages after Rams’ stunning loss to Cardinals: ‘We are what our record is’

🔮 Even Matthew Stafford’s remarkable fourth-quarter touchdown drive couldn’t save them.

2026-10-19 · assertive framing · Sean McVay delivers brutal warning to Rams after embarrassing loss to Cardinals

🔮 Just when it seemed the Los Angeles Rams’ season couldn’t get any worse, one of their biggest stars went down without anybody touching him.

2026-10-19 · assertive framing · Rams’ nightmare gets worse as Davante Adams suffers scary knee injury in heartbreaking loss

🔮 But the Rams couldn’t turn the takeaway into a touchdown, settling for a 44-yard field goal from newly signed kicker Blake Grupe.

2026-10-18 · assertive framing · Rams’ season hits new low after stunning last-second Cardinals loss

🔮 At this point, somebody might want to check whether the Los Angeles Rams’ special teams unit was built on an ancient burial ground.

2026-10-18 · assertive framing · Rams’ kicking curse strikes again as new kicker Blake Grupe gets hurt

🔮 On Sunday afternoon at SoFi Stadium, the veteran offensive tackle will suddenly become one of the most important men on the field, entrusted with protecting Matthew Stafford’s blind side in a must-win NFC West showdown against the Cardinals.

2026-10-18 · assertive framing · Meet Rams forgotten veteran suddenly tasked with protecting Matthew Stafford

🔮 Sitting inside LaFleur’s head is a treasure trove of intelligence on the Rams that would make any CIA operative jealous.

2026-10-18 · assertive framing · Mike LaFleur knows all Rams secrets, but can Sean McVay outsmart former pupil?

🔮 And Sunday’s matchup against the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium will provide an immediate test of whether this latest overhaul represents actual progress or simply another rearranging of the deck chairs on the Titanic.

2026-10-17 · assertive framing · Rams shed 100 pounds at kicker, but special teams problems still weigh ton

🔮 Hindoyan, who will conduct Georges Bizet’s Carmen at LA Opera from Oct. 17 through Nov. 7, invited Turner and his family to attend the production in downtown Los Angeles.

2026-10-16 · assertive framing · Rams ‘Conductor’ finally meets his match — and gets a surprise he’ll never forget

Also by Michael Duarte

Rams’ kicking nightmare continues as Sean McVay turns to yet another veteran

2026-10-20 · New York Post

Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua deliver sobering messages after Rams’ stunning loss to Cardinals: ‘We are what our record is’

2026-10-19 · New York Post

Sean McVay delivers brutal warning to Rams after embarrassing loss to Cardinals

2026-10-19 · New York Post

Rams’ nightmare gets worse as Davante Adams suffers scary knee injury in heartbreaking loss

2026-10-19 · New York Post

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 73 articles by Michael Duarte →

Claims (11 extracted, 0 hedged)

“Better” isn’t supposed to be the standard. asserted

Better → suppose → ?

Scheduling a 6:00PM PT kickoff on a Friday in Los Angeles, at the start of Labor Day weekend, is practically an invitation to spend the opening drive staring at brake lights on the 10 and 110 Freeway. asserted

Scheduling → schedule → Freeway

As expected, fans continued to filter into the Coliseum gates throughout the first and second quarters, slowly filling sections that looked alarmingly sparse at kickoff. asserted

that → expect → kickoff

By nightfall, the atmosphere was noticeably livelier than the triple-digit afternoon furnace USC played in against San Jose State six days earlier. asserted

USC → play → State

Sign up for the California Morning Report newsletter California's top news, sports and entertainment delivered to your inbox every day. asserted

Sign → sign → inbox

The announced attendance was 53,014 an increase from USC’s opener by several thousand people, but still well below the 77,500-seat capacity at the Coliseum. asserted

attendance → announce → Coliseum

It’s yet another reminder that Lincoln Riley’s program has some work to do beyond winning football games. asserted

program → ’ → games

Recruits noticed. asserted

Recruits → notice → ?

Television cameras noticed and opponents were intimidated. asserted

opponents → notice → ?

Two games into the 2026 season and the cameras are noticing empty seats. asserted

cameras → notice → seats

If USC keeps winning, then hopefully they’ll give fans a reason to show up and fill the Coliseum once again. asserted

they → keep → Coliseum

USC’s Coliseum crowd looked better — but the empty seats aren’t gone yet

Quick Summary

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story

Compared with similar articles

Signals How these are calculated →

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Publisher

Who wrote this

Topics

Subjects

Narrative

Claims (11 extracted, 0 hedged)