{
  "id": 4720927,
  "title": "ESPN's Kirk Herbstreit brutally honest on USC-San Jose State attendance with central blame",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/31/espns-kirk-herbstreit-brutally-honest-on-usc-san-jose-state",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-31T21:41:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/espns-kirk-herbstreit-brutally-honest-214143604.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kirk Herbstreit, ESPN color commentator, criticized USC fans for poor attendance at a home game against San Jose State, stating that it is \"embarrassing\" for the Trojans to play in front of a half-empty stadium. He urged USC fans to \"get your ass to the Coliseum,\" regardless of time, weather, or other circumstances. Herbstreit praised the Trojans' performance against the San Jose State defense, noting their balanced attack, high yardage totals, and the presence of many true freshmen. He also highlighted the impressive skill of several young players on the team. Despite the poor attendance, USC acknowledged the factors affecting the turnout and expressed their hope for increased fan support throughout the season.",
  "summary": "Despite the USC Trojans' dominant Week 0 opening win vs. San Jose State this past Saturday, the focus shifted to the sporadic attendance at Southern California. This discrepancy caught wind from the likes of ESPN color commentator Kirk Herbstreit.",
  "key_points": [
    "USC fans criticized for poor attendance at home game vs. San Jose State",
    "Kirk Herbstreit calls it embarrassing for Trojans to play in half-empty stadium",
    "Herbstreit urges USC fans to get to Coliseum regardless of circumstances"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}