UCLA students no longer have to pay to watch the Bruins play football or basketball at home.

Athletic director Tim Harris announced Wednesday, Sept. 16, that all undergraduate, graduate and extension students will receive free admission to regular-season home football, men's basketball and women's basketball games. The move eliminates the $199 Den Pass that students previously needed to attend home football and men's basketball contests.

The policy kicks in Saturday, Sept. 19, when UCLA hosts Purdue in its Big Ten home opener at the Rose Bowl. Students can claim tickets through their student ticket account starting the Monday of each game week.

The change comes as UCLA confronts an attendance crisis. The Bruins averaged 37,282 fans per home football game in 2025, their worst mark since moving into the Rose Bowl in 1982, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The stadium seats 91,136.

Rose Bowl crowds have not topped 60,000 in a season since 2016 or 50,000 since 2018. At Pauley Pavilion, UCLA averaged 7,036 fans per home men's basketball game, among the lowest figures in the Big Ten.

Only 31,973 showed up for the Sept. 12 home opener, a 28-10 win over San Diego State under first-year head coach Bob Chesney, according to Yahoo Sports. UCLA reported the actual scan count rather than the inflated tickets-distributed number many programs use.

Harris, a UCLA alum and former Lakers executive who spent more than 35 years with the organization, took over the athletic department on a pro bono basis after former athletic director Martin Jarmond was dismissed. The department has accumulated a $222.27 million deficit since fiscal year 2020, which the Times cited as the primary reason for Jarmond's departure.

"Now it's time for our students to help set the standard," Harris said in a UCLA Athletics news release. He urged students to arrive early and be loud and relentless when the Bruins take the field Saturday.

The free-ticket announcement is part of Harris's broader "Fours Up, Fans First" initiative, unveiled Sept. 9. That campaign includes the BruWin Rewards loyalty program, fan-friendly ticket pricing, pregame concerts for tailgaters and Bruin legends calling the team onto the field before every home game. For the Sept. 12 opener, Harris donated 300 tickets to fans. Ken Graiwer, CEO of Champion of Westwood, matched that donation, putting 600 free tickets into the crowd.

Students who already bought a 2026-27 Den Pass will receive an automatic refund by Sept. 25. Free-ticket holders can also purchase up to eight guest tickets per home football game, with the exception of the Nov. 28 rivalry matchup against USC. Guest-ticket details for that game will be announced later.

The Bruins are 2-0 under Chesney, who guided James Madison to the College Football Playoff last season. The women's basketball team enters 2026-27 as reigning national champions after a 37-1 season capped by a 79-51 win over South Carolina in the title game, according to CBS News Los Angeles. The men's team is coming off back-to-back March Madness appearances.

UCLA hosts Purdue at the Rose Bowl on Saturday, Sept. 19. Students can also ride the Rooter Bus to the stadium for $15 per game or $60 for a season pass.