USC football was an attraction once again. USC football felt like a real event once again. The announced crowd on Saturday was just over 60,000 in the Los Angeles Coliseum, which meant there were roughly 17,000 empty seats in a stadium which has been redesigned to accommodate nearly 78,000 fans. The numbers might seem disappointing until you realize that a major heat wave has hit Los Angeles and surrounding areas in Southern California. Getting that many fans to the Coliseum on a brutally hot day shows how invested USC fans are in the Trojan football product.
When the weather is comfortable later in the season, you can bet that the Coliseum will be filled.
For the 60,000-plus who braved the conditions on Saturday, though, it was already a time to celebrate the return of USC football — not just to the field for a new season, but to the wonderful world of national relevance in college football.
This felt the way USC football is supposed to feel. We hope you enjoy the images from Saturday’s game: