By now, there goes an unsaid rule in college football. It’s not always about the L’s and W’s and the ups and downs on the scoreboard. A college football program’s biggest flex has been how strong its fandom is. That’s why we have seen programs leaving no stone unturned to woo their loyalists. For instance, Houston Cougars HC Willie Fritz requested a full house, “We should have, and tickets continue to go out the door right now, which is great. There’s tickets available. So, everyone needs to understand that if you’re interested in buying tickets, come on out. We’ve got tickets available.” But right now, a college football program faced its biggest heartbreak. Thanks to their fans. Their stadium with 90,000 capacity went sparsely filled.

That’s none other than the UCLA Bruins’ Rose Bowl stadium. We can sense the amount of frustration that the UCLA fans might be filled with. DeShaun Foster is now carrying the burden of two back-to-back defeats. Even though the Bruins’ face-off against New Mexico holds huge value, the fans refused to make it to the stadium. This must be truly heartbreaking since most of the seats went empty even after ticket price went as low as $8.

On September 12, Jacob Davis tweeted, “I don’t think this type of on-field performance combined with fan support is sustainable moving forward at #UCLA. Pitiful showing so far through 2.5 games.” Rose Bowl Stadium has been the pride of UCLA. It has been the home to the college football program since 1982. As found on the Bruins’ official website, “One of the finest football stadiums in America, the Rose Bowl was built specifically for football, but was used for portions of the 1932 Olympic Games, and was also the soccer site for the 1984 Olympics.” 

UCLA’s stadium was completed in 1922. Over the years, it has accommodated as many as 100,000 fans. But what made the fans not turn up for the September 12 game? New Mexico has never beaten a Big Ten team, and Friday’s game offers what many feel is as good a chance as ever. And given UCLA’s current streak, the Lobos, even by a little, are in a better place. They are coming off with a 1-1 record, a 34-17 loss against Michigan, and a 32-22 win against Idaho State. 

Plus, this season breaks a long hiatus for New Mexico. Their previous stop in the UCLA’s Rose Bowl came during the Hoover administration, when Albuquerque’s population was roughly 25,000 people. Back in 1929, their trip to Rose Bowl stadium made history as they became the first college team to fly to a game. 

Attendance woes plague UCLA Bruins camp 

As the UCLA Bruins faced off against the Utah Utes, the announced attendance was just 35,502. Not even 50% folks. But something felt odd, since more seats looked empty. After inquiring about the same to athletic officials, the tally of people who actually made it to the stadium was just 27,785. They were now 62,000 seats away from hitting the full house. 

As the LA Times’ Ben Bolch delved deeper to unravel UCLA’s 35k turnout mystery. He reported that the figure included “credentialed individuals such as players, coaches, staff, vendors, cheerleaders, band members, performers and even media.” The losses have now caused ticket prices to plummet.

As Arrogant Nation posted a screenshot of the ticket portal with the filter set on “Cheapest.” The caption read, “UCLA tickets are going for $8 after they lost to UNLV.  That’s it. That’s the tweet.” Maybe if they now take the loss against New Mexico, they will be just one step away from giving away free tickets. But they should not be doing that. Tuskegee University’s AD, Reginald Ruffin, has been stoic about maintaining the NO FREE TICKETS rule. 

In a Facebook post, he wrote, “Former Student Athletes-No, you don’t get in free or roam on the sidelines because you played here. Nope, you are not entitled to…Most of you don’t even donate a $5 case of water or Powerade or period to YOUR University, which you always point out to me. Nope, there are no Sideline passes, and I understand you like to look good for the cameras because it’s a televised football game!!! No, sir, not happening!!!” The discounted price was not enough, but maybe a win over New Mexico can start to move things in the right direction.