The USC Trojans faced renewed scrutiny over stadium attendance in their home game against Fresno State on Friday night, after being widely criticised for a sparsely filled Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during their Week 0 season opener against San Jose State. The follow-up game mattered because USC, ranked No. 14 nationally, has been positioned as a top-tier programme following its move to the Big Ten, making the embarrassing empty-seat images particularly notable given expectations for a strong season.

At kickoff for the Fresno State game, plenty of red seats were still visible, though the turnout was reportedly better than the widely mocked Week 0 crowd. Commentators noted mitigating factors, including the Friday evening kick-off ahead of a holiday weekend and Los Angeles's notorious traffic, both of which likely delayed fans' arrival. By the second quarter the stadium had filled out considerably for what was a non-conference, early-season fixture. USC's first home game against a fellow Big Ten opponent will come on 26 September, when they host the Oregon Ducks.