UCLA legend questions low turnout for unbeaten team at Rose Bowl
Troy Aikman says 25,000 fans for a 7-0 team looks empty, while Coach Bob Chesney focuses on connecting players to students.
By Beatriz Soto ·
The Rose Bowl holds more than 100,000 people. On October 31, only 24,611 of them showed up to watch the 7-0 UCLA Bruins beat Nevada. Troy Aikman, a Pro Football Hall of Famer and former All-American for the Bruins, called that scene "little embarrassing." He told 96.7 The Ticket that seeing such low numbers on television makes the stadium feel vacant. Aikman admitted he does not know how to fix the lack of local excitement. He noted that if a perfect record does not draw a crowd, he is unsure what will.
The Bruins have faced challenges beyond ticket sales. They lost starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava to a season-ending injury earlier in the year. Despite that setback, the team remains unbeaten under first-year head coach Bob Chesney. The offense relies on Ty Dieffenbach and Wayne Knight. The defense ranks among the best in the country. The team is chasing a spot in the College Football Playoff and a Big Ten Championship appearance.
Chesney addressed the fan engagement issue two weeks ago. He said the program has made tickets and travel plans easy to access. He believes the gap lies in connecting the players to the campus community. "We all got to do a better job of getting a little bit more involved," Chesney said. He wants students in classes to talk about the team. He wants them to see the people on the roster, not just the logo. He described the administration as doing a great job with logistics. He said the team must keep the conversation alive on campus.
Chesney reacted to the selection committee's first rankings with a neutral stance. He told his players to ignore the media drama surrounding the initial polls. "That's not what we're here for," he said after Saturday's win at Minnesota. He emphasized that the team's focus remains on winning games. The Bruins defeated Minnesota on Saturday.
Attendance figures for the Bruins place them in rare company. Only Duke and Stanford have filled less than 50 percent of their seating capacity for home games this season. According to USA Today, FBS home game attendance on Halloween this year was 8.8 percent lower than those teams' averages from 2025. The low numbers at UCLA are part of this wider trend.
The Bruins host Illinois on Friday night at the Rose Bowl. They travel to Michigan on November 21. The team plays its rival USC on November 28. That game carries major implications for Big Ten standings and playoff positioning.
