Troy Aikman has no patience for empty seats, even when his alma mater is winning every game. The Hall of Fame quarterback called the turnout for UCLA’s latest victory “little embarrassing” during a radio appearance on Thursday. The Bruins sit at 8-0 and hold the No. 8 rank in the country, yet the stadium looked less than half full. Aikman admitted the low numbers irk him because the team deserves better support from its own fans.
Aikman’s Take on the Rose Bowl
The math does not add up for a program this good. UCLA plays at the Rose Bowl, a venue that can hold about 90,000 people. Last weekend against Nevada, only 24,611 fans showed up to watch the team win 27-0. That small crowd makes the massive stadium feel dead. Aikman noted on Dallas’ 96.7 “The Ticket” show that the low attendance was made obvious on television broadcasts. He told listeners that the cameras are set low so viewers cannot tell how sparse the stands really are.
“So when you have a stadium at the Rose Bowl that holds over 100,000, 25,000, it may as well be empty as opposed to some other stadiums that maybe hold 40,000,” Aikman said, per reports. The comment hits hard because it is true. A crowd of 25,000 looks tiny in a giant bowl. It would look packed in a smaller college arena, but not here. Aikman asked a simple question that has no easy answer. If a 7-0 record does not get fans to the game, what will?
The Real Problem for UCLA
Winning should fix this, but it clearly has not so far. The team is undefeated and playing well under head coach Bob Chesney. Yet the fans stay away. The New York Post reported that Aikman feels the need to get people excited about the games again. He does not know the magic formula to fix it. The attendance issue is a distraction for a team that wants to win a national title. You cannot build a great program on empty seats.
UCLA must turn the crowd around before the season ends. The Bruins face a tough test on the road this weekend. Saturday morning brings a tricky Big Ten matchup at Minnesota for them. The team will return home afterward to face Illinois. Aikman’s comments serve as a wake-up call for the fanbase. The numbers from last week show that the team is winning, but the fans are missing out. The game against Nevada drew 24,611 people according to reports.
