UCLA Offers Free Admission to Students for Major Sporting Events

UCLA has introduced a new policy making all regular-season home football, men's basketball, and women's basketball games free for enrolled students. The initiative, announced Wednesday by new UCLA CEO and athletic director Tim Harris, aims to increase student attendance and foster a more vibrant atmosphere at athletic events.

The policy takes effect immediately, starting with the Bruins' Big Ten football opener against Purdue on Saturday at the Rose Bowl.

"Our students are the heartbeat of UCLA," Harris stated. "Their passion, energy and pride create an atmosphere that makes a difference for our student-athletes and coaches. We want as many students as possible experiencing UCLA Athletics, supporting their fellow Bruins and helping us build one of the best home environments in college sports. We need our students to show up, be loud, and make a difference."

Students can claim tickets for home football games through their student ticket account beginning the Monday of each game week. Registration for the Purdue game opened Wednesday morning. Students who purchased the 2026-27 Den Pass for $199 will receive an automatic refund by September 25.

While students can bring up to eight guests to most home football games, this guest ticket option will not apply to the rivalry game against USC on November 28. Details for obtaining tickets for the USC game will be announced later. Information regarding the student ticket request process for men's and women's basketball games will be released before the start of the 2026-27 season.

This move follows other recent initiatives by Harris, who also purchased 300 tickets for the Bruins' home opener against San Diego State and adjusted attendance reporting to more accurately reflect stadium capacity. Harris is seeking to energize the student body to support the athletic programs, urging them to "Arrive early. Be loud. Be relentless."