USC addressed the widespread criticism over the sparse crowd Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, saying it hopes to see "increased attendance the rest of the season."
The 14th-ranked Trojans opened their highly anticipated fifth season under coach Lincoln Riley with only 51,144 fans -- which appeared to be a generous estimate -- in reported attendance Saturday against San Jose State.
The game kicked off at noon local time and the temperature reached 96 degrees at one point, with a heat index over 100 degrees.
"We understand the factors that impacted Saturday's attendance," the school said Monday in a statement. "We have high expectations and a premier home schedule this season, and we know the competitive advantage an electric Coliseum atmosphere can provide our program. We thank our fans who showed up Saturday and look forward to seeing increased attendance the rest of the season."
The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for Los Angeles County through 8 p.m. Saturday. Many fans who did attend left their seats at various points during the game and watched from the few shaded areas around the Coliseum.
"I didn't like it. Being from Minnesota, snow games are my preference over the super hot games," Trojans defensive tackle Jide Abasiri said of playing in the heat. "But staying hydrated throughout the week really helped me prepare for this game."
The university also said it had a plan to counter the heat as much as possible, setting up additional cooling stations and fans while also permitting attendees to bring in more water.
Last year, USC opened the season at home against Missouri State and drew 62,841 for a 4:30 p.m. kickoff.
USC will host Fresno State this Friday at 6:00 p.m.
