UCLA Football: Ex-Bruins HC Confident DeShaun Foster Will Become Fan Favorite

Can DeShaun Foster attract more Bruins fans to home games?

At his introductory press conference, new UCLA football head coach DeShaun Foster made it clear that one of his goals is to bring in more fans to the Rose Bowl.

“People used to love coming to the Rose Bowl games, filling the stadium. It was jam packed when I played in there,” Foster said, via Grace Whitaker of the Daily Bruin. “There was no games that I played in that weren’t. It didn’t matter who we were playing. We’re going to get back to that.”

The Rose Bowl did not reach normal levels of attendance for UCLA football games during Chip Kelly's head coaching tenure. During Kelly's tenure, UCLA averaged 45,000 fans for home games. Before Kelly, the three previous coaches all averaged at least 64,000 fans per UCLA home game, a difference of 20,000 fans, via What's Bruin Symposium.

@UCLAFootball Home Attendance
Dorrell 2003-2007: Avg 64k
Neuhiesal 2008-2011: Avg 64k
Mora 2012 - 2017 Avg 67k
Kelly 2017-2023 Avg 45k

UCLA was top 30 attendance AT WORST perennially until Chip - This is his legacy @BruceFeldmanCFB, @Cover3Podcast, @wilnerhotline, @Pac12Podcast

— What's Bruin Symposium (@whatsbruinshow) February 15, 2024

Former UCLA head coach Jim Mora, who coached the Bruins from 2012-2017 and averaged 67,000 fans at home games, is confident that Foster will bring back more fans to the Rose Bowl. 

"My prediction is that DeShaun Foster and UCLA football will blow past that 67K per game we hit in between 2012-2017 within 2 seasons," Mora said on X. "The team he puts on the field and the style they play with may well roll right past the 77K we drew in 2014. Those were some fun times in the Rose Bowl!"

My prediction is that @DeShaunFoster26 and @uclafootball will blow past that 67K per game we hit in between 2012-2017 within 2 season. The team he puts on the field and the style they play with may well roll right past the 77K we drew in 2014.
Those were some fun times in the… https://t.co/9ispwVJwvn

— Jim Mora (@CoachJimMoraFB) February 15, 2024

This kind of fan attendance is of course exactly what UCLA is seeking to see at the Rose Bowl again. Though the Rose Bowl is a commute for UCLA students hoping to see their football team, the team has still brought in plenty of fans before Chip Kelly's coaching tenure.

Of course, the best way to bring in fans is to win. Mora was able to do that with UCLA, especially early in his tenure, posting a 46-30 overall record and a 28-25 Pac-12 record. Now, Foster will be tasked with trying to create a winning program at UCLA, which would certainly attract more spectators.