Shots of a half-empty Rose Bowl are growing tiresome this season for UCLA legend Troy Aikman.
The Pro Football Hall of Famer and former Bruins All-American sounded off earlier this month about the lack of fan support for the unbeaten program and isn't sure how to fix the lack of buzz in Los Angeles. Despite No. 8 UCLA's rise during Bob Chesney's impressive first season, the Bruins can't seem to generate interest from their fanbase.
"Little embarrassing that we were 7-0 going into last week's game (against Nevada) and, they shoot it pretty low (on TV) so you can't really tell when you're watching the game, I'm told there was about 20 to 25,000 people at the game," Aikman said recently on 96.7 The Ticket. "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.
"We've got to get people going to games; we've got to get them excited about it. And then you say, 'Well, how do you get them excited? If 7-0 doesn't get them excited, what will?' I don't know the answer to that."
Despite losing quarterback Nico Iamaleava to a season-ending injury, the Bruins have continued to power ahead toward a Big Ten Championship appearance and College Football Playoff berth behind Ty Dieffenbach and Wayne Knight on offense along with one of the nation's top defensive units.
"I told our guys, 'Don't worry about watching this four-week drama series that's going to be this new show that they're going to put out there,'" Chesney said after Saturday's win at Minnesota on what to make of the selection committee's first rankings. "That's not what we're here for. No way slighted. No way honored. Just totally neutral on whatever they might say. We've got to win our football games, and we did that today."
Chesney touched on the Bruins' attendance issues and lack of fan engagement two weeks ago.
"I don't really turn around and look behind and see what's really going on," Chesney said. "We all got to do a better job of getting a little bit more involved and make sure our guys in classes are talking about this with everybody, making sure they can connect a story and face to this team, not just what this team is but ultimately the people on it. We've done everything we could as far as the tickets, the travel plans and the free access.
"Our administration's doing a great job; we've just got to make sure everybody just keeps talking about it all the time, especially on this campus."
During UCLA's last home win against Nevada on Oct. 31, the Bruins posted a season-low attendance of 24,611. According to USA Today, FBS home game attendance on Halloween this season was 8.8% lower than those teams' 2025 home game averages.
Duke and Stanford are the only two other Power Four programs this season filling less than 50% of their seating capacity for home games.
The Bruins host Illinois on Friday night at the Rose Bowl before traveling to Michigan on Nov. 21. The rivalry showdown with USC on Nov. 28 should draw a packed stadium, given its significant Big Ten and CFP implications.
