20.10.9.3 Football-Attendance Requirements. Once every two years on a rolling basis, the institution shall average at least 15,000 in actual or paid attendance for all home football games.

20.10.9.3.1 Counting Attendance.

20.10.9.3.1.1 Actual Attendance. For purposes of computing actual attendance figures, an individual may be counted if any one of the following conditions applies:

(a) Attendees are issued tickets that are collected on admission to the game and retained;

(b) Attendees enter through and are counted by a turnstile that is monitored by a representative of the department of athletics who verifies in writing the accuracy of the count on a per-game basis; or

(c) Attendees enter through a gate at which a representative of the department of athletics counts them individually with a manual counter, and the representative provides a written statement verifying the accuracy of the count on a per-game basis.

20.10.9.3.1.2 Paid Attendance. For purposes of computing paid attendance figures, tickets must be sold for at least one-third of the highest regular established ticket price as established prior to the season, regardless of whether they are used for admission. Tickets sold at less than one-third of the highest regular established price may be counted as paid attendance only if they are used for admission. Student attendance may be counted as paid attendance if the student pays at least one-third of the highest regular established ticket price or, if the student actually attends the game and any one of the following conditions applies:

(a) The student paid an athletics fee;

(b) The student paid an institutional fee of which a certain portion was allocated to the department of intercollegiate athletics; or

(c) The student paid no athletics fee, but the institution allocated to the department of intercollegiate athletics a certain portion of tuition income or general operating funds as the equivalent of a student athletics fee.

20.10.9.3.1.2.1 Student Attendance. Student attendance must be verified through one of the following methods:

(a) Such students are issued tickets that are collected on admission to the game and retained;

(b) Such students enter through and are counted by a turnstile (which is not used by others in attendance) that is monitored by a representative of the department of athletics who verifies in writing the accuracy of the count on a per-game basis; or

(c) Such students enter through a gate (that is not used by others in attendance) at which a representative of the department of athletics counts them individually with a manual counter, and the representative provides a written statement verifying the accuracy of the count on a per-game basis.

20.10.9.3.1.2.1.1 Noncounted Students. Student-athletes and cheerleaders scheduled by the institution to be at the game and students performing services at the stadium (e.g., concessionaires, ticket takers, parking-lot attendants, ushers, grounds keepers) shall not be counted toward meeting the attendance requirements.

20.10.9.3.1.2.2 Exchange of Tickets With Opponent. For an institution to meet the Football Bowl Subdivision attendance requirements, tickets for a football contest obtained by an institution through an exchange agreement or a purchase agreement with another institution may be used only if sold for at least one-third of the highest regular established ticket price and are used to attend the game.

20.10.9.3.2 Certified Audit. In meeting the football-attendance requirements of the Football Bowl Subdivision, an institution must undertake an annual certified audit verifying its football attendance. The audited football-attendance figures must be received in the NCAA national office not later than the February 15 following the completion of the football season, and NCAA national office staff shall verify compliance with all the Football Bowl Subdivision attendance requirements. The certified audit and materials (including the ticket manifest) must be available for inspection for a four-year period.