UCLA’s new athletics director, Tim Harris, is personally investing in increasing fan turnout for the Bruins' football home opener against San Diego State on Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Harris, a former Lakers executive and UCLA alumnus, has purchased 300 tickets to give away on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Additionally, fans who do not secure one of the free tickets will have access to a limited number of half-off tickets. This initiative aims to energize the crowd for a team that began its season with a 45-24 victory over Cal last weekend.
UCLA head coach Bob Chesney emphasized the importance of fan support, especially with students not yet back on campus. "We just need this community to come out and support at a level that they’ve never done in the past bunch of years," Chesney said. "I told you it would be different on our side — we need it to be different on their side as well."
Chesney praised the fan presence at the season opener, noting that UCLA supporters were visible and contributed to the team's energy. "The fans that showed up up there was absolutely phenomenal," Chesney said. "The band, to be there, was phenomenal. That was a great setting, one that there was a lot of the right color blue in the stands up there that I was really impressed by and proud of, and they stayed the course and were there the whole way through."
Attendance at Rose Bowl games has been a persistent challenge for UCLA. The team has recorded its five lowest home attendance figures since 2021, leading to the use of tarps to cover empty seats. Last season, the announced average attendance of 37,282 was a record low for the stadium, which UCLA has used as its home venue since 1982.
The forecast for Saturday's 4:15 p.m. kickoff predicts a high temperature of 87 degrees Fahrenheit in Pasadena.