UCLA students can attend every regular-season home football and basketball game for free starting Saturday, Sept. 19, when the Bruins host Purdue in their Big Ten home opener at the Rose Bowl.
The university announced the policy on Wednesday, Sept. 16. It covers all regular-season home games for football, men's basketball and women's basketball. Eligible undergraduate and graduate students can claim complimentary tickets through their student ticket accounts starting the Monday of each game week. Registration for Saturday's game opened Wednesday, Sept. 16, at 10 a.m.
Kickoff against Purdue is set for 8 p.m.
Tim Harris, CEO and director of UCLA Athletics, framed the move as a way to fill a stadium that has grown quieter in recent years. UCLA averaged 37,282 fans at the 91,136-seat Rose Bowl in 2025, its lowest full-season home attendance since the Bruins moved there in 1982, The Athletic reported.
"I view the students not as a revenue source, but as a marketing platform," Harris said on a podcast with Bruin Report Online. "I view the students as part of the entire experience."
The attendance problem was visible Sept. 12, when an announced crowd of 31,973 attended coach Bob Chesney's Rose Bowl debut, a 28-10 win over San Diego State. Harris personally bought 300 tickets to that game and gave them away.
Students who already purchased a 2026-27 Den Pass, UCLA's student season-ticket package priced at $199, will receive automatic refunds by Friday, Sept. 25. The pass cost $165 in the 2022-23 school year before rising to its current price.
Students can also buy up to eight guest tickets per home football game, except for the Nov. 28 rivalry game against USC. Details for that game will be announced later.
The free-ticket policy extends to basketball, where the women's team enters the season as defending national champions after a 37-1 campaign and a 79-51 win over South Carolina in April's title game, according to CBS Los Angeles. The men's team is coming off back-to-back March Madness appearances. Basketball ticket-claim details will be released before the season begins.
For students making the roughly 26-mile trip from Westwood to Pasadena, UCLA offers the Rooter Bus on game days. Single-game bus passes cost $15 and season passes run $60.
UCLA (2-0) hosts Purdue (1-1) Saturday at 8 p.m. The remaining Rose Bowl home schedule: Oct. 17 vs. Wisconsin, Oct. 24 vs. Michigan State, Oct. 31 vs. Nevada, Nov. 13 vs. Illinois at 6 p.m. and Nov. 28 vs. USC.
