Admission to home Illini events will be free for students this year, thanks to the work of the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics. Coaches and athletic administrators worked together to provide free tickets to all regular-season games and meets, except football and men’s basketball.

“The hope is that this will drive more students to events and help the atmosphere, as well as giving students incentive to go to these events and get more involved during their college careers,” said Kent Brown, Assistant Athletic Director for Media Relations.

Coaches encouraged the free tickets, hoping students will be encouraged to attend more contests. Brown said students add an important element to Illini games, bringing the support student athletes like to see.

Other Big Ten schools including Indiana, Michigan and Northwestern also offer free tickets to students.

Brown said the benefits of having more fans cheering at athletic events will balance out the slim revenue loss from the price of student tickets. In past years, tickets for those with a valid University ID card only cost a few dollars.

“The ticket price students pay is not going to be a significant financial hurt,” Brown said. “It’s more important to encourage them to come to games.”

Illinois offered free admission to a few athletic events last year, with positive results. Occasional baseball games, soccer games and men’s and women’s gymnastics meets were free to students, and the fan turnout was impressive.

“We saw a significant increase in attendance at those games,” Brown said.

The first home Illini athletic event will be the women’s soccer game this Friday at the Illini Track and Soccer Stadium. The No. 13 soccer team will take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers at 7 p.m. They will also face the Western Illinois Leathernecks at 2 p.m. Sunday.

“Coaches have continued to say that they want the students there, that the student support is so valuable,” Brown said. “It’s important to the coaches and athletes. Athletes like to perform in front of people, they get a better home-court advantage.”