There’s no excuse now. Penn State students just received even more incentive to attend men’s basketball home games at the Bryce Jordan Center with the announcement that admission to non-conference home games next season will be free of charge. The rationale behind the decision is simple: the team wants more fans to attend games, and letting students in for free is certainly a great way to boost attendance.

Head coach Pat Chambers — who orchestrated the closing of the upper bowl this past season in an effort to create a more vibrant feel to games — is an advocate of increasing student attendance.

“Nittany Nation is an integral part of gameday,” Chambers said in a release. “Their energy and enthusiasm greatly affects the atmosphere in the BJC, and it is our hope that free admission will open up the doors to even more fans so we can cultivate a true home-court advantage.”

The lack of a true “home-court feel” in the BJC has been a glaring issue in recent years for the Nittany Lions, but progressive initiatives like this signals that times are indeed changing.

On top of free admission to non-conference games, there will be a $24 ticket package for Big Ten home games offered to students.

The hope is that these initiatives will create a more enjoyable atmosphere at home games, and with enticing offers like these, the Bryce Jordan Center should fill out better than past years during the team’s non-conference schedule.