Bob Chesney has made quick work of turning around the product on the field for the UCLA Bruins’ football program but the attendance issues are not going away for the No. 7 team in the country.
The Rose Bowl has not been packed for UCLA football in recent years and despite the team’s rapid turnaround, there’s still plenty of open seats on game day. Week 8 against Michigan State was no different. UCLA had an official attendance of 33,757, which is underwhelming for a team that has shown so much on the field this season.
According to D1Ticker, UCLA has averaged the 69th highest attendance this season at 32,979. The Bruins are right between UConn and Boston College on the list, two schools with inferior football programs. UCLA has the second-lowest
average attendance in the Big Ten, ahead of Northwestern, who also finds themselves ranked heading into Week 9.
UCLA is No. 9 in the country and this is what the Rose Bowl looks like.
— College Sports Only (@CSOonX) October 24, 2026
Embarrassing. 🥀 pic.twitter.com/dH4vTTTc8h
There’s a variety of reasons for the low attendance but none are bigger than the fact that UCLA’s campus is 30 miles from the Rose Bowl. The attendance issues will also take time to fix, if UCLA is able to sustain quality, exciting football then it’ll be easier for students and fans to head out to Pasadena to take in games in-person.
Vamonos pic.twitter.com/xtYiOJl7mp
— Brian Bearer 🐻 (@Goodriddancety) October 24, 2026
For now, the tarps look like they’ll be staying up. It’s a shame for an iconic stadium and an up-and-coming team that tarps are needed to help cover up a lack of attendance. Chesney and new UCLA Athletic Director Tim Harris have fixed a lot for the football program already and will work to correct UCLA’s attendance woes as well.
This article originally appeared on UCLA Wire: UCLA's winning ways hasn't fixed their attendance issues just yet
