usatoday
The UCLA Bruins are enjoying a dream season on the gridiron, but their success on the field hasn't translated into packed stands at the Rose Bowl. The team is undefeated at 7-0 for the first time since 2005, standing as one of only three remaining unbeaten programs in the nation and the sole representative from either the Big Ten or SEC. Ranked No. 7 in the US LBM Coaches Poll—their highest position since the 2014 preseason—the Bruins are positioning themselves as contenders for their first College Football Playoff berth.
Yet, despite coach Bob Chesney's flawless start, the Rose Bowl has been far from full. The student section, in particular, has been noticeably thin, with the Week 8 victory over Michigan State drawing what was arguably the lowest student turnout of the season. The crowd only dwindled further as the game wore on. Chesney took note. "The student section was slow to get in there, and then felt like they left a little bit early," Chesney said on Monday, Oct. 26. "I think that they got to do a better job too."
One factor working against the Bruins is their off-campus venue. UCLA is among the few major college football programs that don't play on campus, and the commute to the Rose Bowl can be daunting—roughly a 30- to 50-minute drive from campus, depending on traffic. That distance has long been a hurdle for the program in its efforts to fill the stadium. The Bruins tarp off sections of the end zones, reducing capacity to approximately 65,000, but they haven't come close to filling even that reduced figure this season. UCLA is averaging just 33,172 fans per game, with 33,757 attending the win over Michigan State.
Key Analysis
Since taking the helm, Chesney has repeatedly urged fans to make the trip to the Rose Bowl, and the program has even made tickets free for students. However, Chesney acknowledged that more can be done. "We all got to do a better job," he said. "We probably got to just get a little bit more involved and make sure our guys in classes are talking about this with everybody, making sure they can connect a story and a face to this team, not just what this team is, but ultimately, the people on it. I think we've done everything we could as far as the tickets, done everything we've done as far as the travel plans and the free access, all those things. I think our administration is doing a great job. We just got to make sure everybody just keeps talking about it all the time now, especially on this campus."
The next opportunity for UCLA to draw a crowd comes Oct. 31 when the Bruins host Nevada, though a Halloween matchup against a Mountain West opponent could present another difficult draw. After that, only two home games remain: Illinois visits on Friday, Nov. 13, before UCLA closes the regular season against crosstown rival USC on Nov. 28. That rivalry game figures to provide the Bruins their best opportunity for a packed Rose Bowl.
Originally reported by usatoday.