Clemson BOT votes to mandate an athletic fee on students

Clemson students still have options to attend football games for free.

by David Hood - Senior Writer - Oct 18, 2024, 2:19 PM

CLEMSON — Clemson students will soon pay an athletics fee.

The Clemson Board of Trustees Finances and Facilities Committee approved an action item Friday that would charge all students a $150 athletic fee per semester. Currently, Clemson is the only public college in the state that does not require its students to pay athletic fees.

Other public colleges or universities in the state charge for athletic fees, and Clemson’s archrival, the University of South Carolina, charges its students an athletic fee of roughly $150.

No, the fees will not go to NIL or to fund Name/Image/Likeness initiatives but will help fund other non-revenue sports on campus.

The new fee will simply be added to the tuition bill and will begin in the fall of 2025.

The fee will not affect student tickets to athletic events.

Clemson students currently have the option to attend football games for free, but they must enter a single-game lottery. The lottery is capped at a maximum of four games to allow as many students as possible to attend games.

Students also have the option to purchase season tickets if they want to attend all home games. Access to purchase season tickets is prioritized via a points system as approved by CUSG (Student Government) and includes two main factors: seniority and IPTAY Collegiate Club membership.

Clemson students can still attend all other sports for free.

A Clemson spokesperson released the following statement:

The first pillar of the University’s strategic plan, Clemson Elevate, highlights the overarching goal to provide the Nation’s #1 Student Experience. Athletics plays an important role in that experience, not only from intercollegiate athletics successes but also through the maintenance of intramural fields and access to athletics facilities for major events. The communal experience and shared memories at athletics events and venues remain a priority for our University.

Clemson has long been one of the only national universities to not derive financial support to athletics through its student population - either through a fee or ticket expense - and is one of the few to offer free admission to students at every athletic event. Seven other NCAA Division I South Carolina public universities charge an athletic fee, averaging $1,082 per semester.

The $150-per-semester athletic fee, which will go into effect next academic year (2025-26), will reflect the institution’s commitment to a healthy and vibrant varsity athletic program and an investment in the student experience.

Our athletics department continues to aggressively explore all available options for generating revenue, both short and long-term. This includes record-breaking fundraising efforts and innovative business strategies to help even the financial playing field of intercollegiate athletics and support all 21 varsity sports and 600 student athletes.