UCLA and USC both sit at 6-0, and that has not happened since 2005Getty Images
After a “handful of down years for college football in L.A.,” things are “looking up on both sides of town,” according to Paolo Uggetti of ESPN.com. UCLA and USC both sit at 6-0, and that has not happened since 2005. USC professor Jeff Fellenzer said, "To succeed in L.A., you not only need to win. You need to win and be entertaining when you win, and you need to have star power, and [both teams] are checking all those boxes." Attendance has "been a running theme” for UCLA, and the school has “tried to make the game experience better for fans so that attendance isn't solely based on results.” UCLA featured "fireworks pregame, a halftime fireworks show and lights coordinated to music as well as an in-game MC" for its Sept. 30 game against Washington. The latter is something USC also has “had the past few years.” Whether those entertainment features are “bringing more fans to the stadium is hard to gauge,” but the point seems to be to "enhance the experience for those who do show up.” UCLA saw a "season-high 42,038 visitors" at the Rose Bowl for last Saturday's game against Utah. Percentage-wise, attendance has “been better” at USC (averaging just below 80% capacity on home games this season), due "in large part to the renewed sense of direction" from hiring coach Lincoln Riley. Football, as an entertainment product, has "always been about the quarterback first,” and both USC and UCLA this season “have potential Heisman Trophy contenders" in QBs Caleb Williams and Dorian Thompson-Robinson. The two have had "their share of highlights and performances,” which has been the programs' “most effective form of advertising” (ESPN.com, 10/11).
