Aikman criticizes low UCLA crowd
The Hall of Famer calls the 24,000 fan turnout embarrassing for the unbeaten Bruins.
By Naomi Tesfaye ·
Troy Aikman described the recent turnout at the Rose Bowl as little embarrassing. The Pro Football Hall of Famer and former UCLA All-American voiced his frustration on 96.7 The Ticket this month. He pointed to the sparse crowd during the Bruins' 7-0 streak.
UCLA posted a season-low attendance of 24,611 during its home win against Nevada on October 31. Aikman noted that television footage showed the stadium looking nearly empty. He compared the 25,000 spectators to the venue's 100,000-seat capacity. He said the scene was comparable to smaller 40,000-seat stadiums that are filled to the brim.
Head coach Bob Chesney is in his first season at the helm. The Bruins have risen to No. 8 in the rankings despite a challenging start. They lost quarterback Nico Iamaleava to a season-ending injury. Ty Dieffenbach and Wayne Knight have kept the offense moving forward. The defense remains one of the top units in the nation.
Chesney addressed the lack of fan engagement two weeks ago. He stated that the administration is doing a great job with tickets and travel plans. He believes the players and students need to talk more about the team. He wants to connect faces and stories to the roster beyond just the statistics.
The Bruins are chasing a Big Ten Championship appearance and a College Football Playoff berth. Chesney told his players to ignore the drama surrounding selection committee rankings. He emphasized that winning football games is the only priority. The team secured a win at Minnesota on Saturday.
UCLA hosts Illinois at the Rose Bowl on Friday night. The Bruins then travel to Michigan on November 21. A rivalry game against USC is scheduled for November 28. That matchup carries major implications for Big Ten and playoff positioning.
FBS home game attendance on Halloween was 8.8% lower than 2025 averages according to USA Today. Only Duke and Stanford are other Power Four programs filling less than 50% of their seats. UCLA's next home crowd will be tested as the season enters its final stretch.
