Texas Tech Coach Takes Brutal Shot at USC Over Stadium Disaster

Liberty Check

• Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire called out USC and Lincoln Riley for embarrassing attendance at the LA Coliseum’s home opener
• While McGuire praised Lubbock’s ‘tough’ fans, USC’s actual problem is sky-high ticket prices, terrible logistics, and competition from pro sports
• Conservative values like loyalty and tradition still thrive in heartland football towns, while coastal elites price out real fans

The college football season barely started, and already the drama is heating up — not on the field, but in the stands.

Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire didn’t hold back at a Monday press conference, taking a not-so-subtle jab at USC and Lincoln Riley over the Trojans’ pathetic turnout for their home opener against San Jose State.

“Not to take any shots because I have a lot of respect for USC and Lincoln Riley, but man, it’s really awesome to be playing in Lubbock, Texas, knowing we’re going to be playing front of 60,000, and it’s going to be warm,” McGuire said.

“It’s going to be every bit as warm as it was Saturday. The great thing is we got some really tough people in West Texas that love their football and they’re going to show up.”

The Trojans hosted San Jose State at the LA Coliseum on Saturday at noon — a kickoff time that made sense for NBC’s broadcast schedule and absolutely no one else. USC entered as 38-point favorites, temperatures soared into the mid-90s with unusual humidity for Southern California, and the early start meant zero shade or relief from brutal conditions.

Predictably, fans stayed home in droves.

McGuire’s comments highlight a real cultural divide in college football. In Lubbock and across the heartland, football is everything. Fans show up no matter what because there’s no NBA team down the street, no MLB franchise competing for entertainment dollars, and no trendy downtown nightlife pulling crowds away.

It’s pure, loyal, traditional American football culture.

But in Los Angeles? It’s a different world entirely. USC fans have the NFL Rams and Chargers, the Dodgers, the Lakers, the Clippers, Major League Soccer, and endless entertainment options. Add in horrific downtown traffic, limited parking, infamous security lines at an aging stadium, and ticket prices that can hit $475 for prime seats — and suddenly staying home to watch on TV makes perfect sense.

For a family of four to attend USC’s upcoming game against Oregon, they’re looking at nearly $2,000 after parking and concessions. Compare that to Texas Tech’s Arizona State game, where lower-level tickets are just $170.

USC’s administration has priced out regular fans in favor of wealthy donors and international students — many of whom have little interest in football tradition. The school’s student body has shifted dramatically in recent decades, with a shockingly high percentage of international enrollment thanks to deep-pocketed parents.

That’s not the recipe for a raucous, sold-out stadium.

McGuire’s shot at USC also ignores some convenient facts. Texas Tech’s week-one game is sold out, sure — but their matchup against Arizona has thousands of tickets still available. Even their “biggest” home game against Arizona State isn’t close to capacity.

Lubbock fans don’t have a choice but to endure the heat — every August and September game is miserable because the weather is miserable. There’s no “I’ll wait for better conditions” option when half the season is scorching hot.

In Los Angeles, fans can simply skip the noon heat wave and show up for Friday night’s game against Fresno State, where temperatures will be a comfortable 72 degrees.

Should USC’s attendance have been better? Absolutely. Did the stadium fill in more after kickoff? Yes, though still well below capacity.

But the reality is this: coastal elites running major universities have lost touch with the working-class fans who built college football into what it is today. They’ve turned stadiums into luxury experiences for the wealthy, while heartland programs like Texas Tech still honor tradition, loyalty, and accessibility.

Americans deserve better.