USC football has had a strong showing in its opening three games of the 2026 season, outscoring its opponents 130-56. Despite this dominance, its performances have been overshadowed by poor attendance numbers at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
High student ticket prices are an overlooked component of the issue, as students are forced to pay roughly $50 per home game.
A student season ticket gives students access to all seven of USC’s home games and up to two guest tickets per game. The pass costs $275, plus a $25 processing fee, while individual game tickets range from $60 to $125 depending on the opponent.
Kennedy Holley, a sophomore studying neuroscience, chose not to buy a season ticket this fall because she didn’t see the value in one.
“I realized I don’t love going to every single game–it’s too expensive for the value I would get out of it, so it’s not worth it,” Holley said.
While USC comfortably won its first two games, defeating San Jose State 42-26 and Fresno State 39-0, attendance issues sparked criticism online. Both games reported an attendance of just over 50,000, roughly 70% of the stadium’s full capacity.
The San Jose State game’s attendance was the lowest under Lincoln Riley and second lowest of the decade. Also, between 2024 and 2025, average attendance dropped from around 71,500 to 68,000, according to reporting from CBS Sports.
USC reported a significantly improved attendance of about 60,000 in their 49-30 victory over Louisiana Saturday. However, this is still a stark difference from the stadium’s 77,500 capacity.
Johnny Lee, a sophomore biochemistry major, considered buying a pass this season, but ultimately chose not to.
“Last year, I thought about buying it because I thought that I could be selling tickets for more and make a profit,” he said. “I’m just losing money, and it’s like 300 bucks.”
Lee has also not attended a game because he “didn’t think the games were worth it.”
Affordability isn’t the only influence in what makes a ticket ‘worth it.’
Some students like Jacob Brown, a senior journalism major, gambled that buying the pass would be more efficient than buying tickets for every game.
“I usually go to every game. But it’s kind of easy to sell it otherwise,” Brown said.
While ticket prices might not be the only factor, they are still a component worth looking at.
Student season ticket prices have increased by almost $100 in the past 10 years. In 2015, USC had the second-highest student ticket price in the Pac-12 at $185. The transition to the Big Ten impacted prices dramatically; between the 2023 and 2024 seasons, tickets increased from $200 to today’s $275.
“Sometimes games are predictable; you kind of know who the teams play, and then you’re like, it’s going to be a blowout,” said Holley, who didn’t feel she would attend enough games to justify buying a season ticket. “I feel like the time of day [affects my decision] too because I don’t really like 12 p.m. games where it’s really hot.”
Lee said he bases his decision to attend on the level of play and how many other people are planning to go.
When Brown doesn’t attend a game, he typically sells tickets for $40 to $50 per game.
“With the Oregon and Ohio State game, I figured it would even out,” he said.
But the consensus among all students remains strong. “Ideally, the tickets would just be individually cheaper,” Lee said.
USC Football is on the road this week before they return to the Coliseum Sep 26 to face #21 Oregon.
Edited by Andriana Yatsyshyn and Lindsay Augustine.