UCLA to give all students free tickets to football, basketball games

Key Points:

• UCLA Athletics announced that tickets to all home football and men’s and women’s basketball games will now be free for undergraduate, graduate, and extension students, replacing the previous $199 Den Pass requirement.
• The move aims to boost attendance and fan engagement amid historically low turnout, with UCLA’s football games at the Rose Bowl averaging just 37,282 spectators in 2025, far below the stadium’s 92,542 capacity.
• New UCLA athletic director Tim Harris, who has initiated several fan-focused changes including ticket donations and the “Fours Up, Fans First” loyalty program, hopes to energize the student fan base and improve the game-day atmosphere.
• Despite a significant athletic department deficit of $222.27 million since 2020, the free ticket policy is part of a broader strategy to increase attendance and generate more revenue from other paying fans.
• Men’s basketball attendance at Pauley Pavilion, averaging 7,036 per game and among the lowest in the Big Ten, is expected to benefit from the change, potentially creating a stronger home-court advantage.