Clemson OK's athletic fee of $150 per semester, per student

CLEMSON, S.C. -- Clemson University's board of trustees has approved an athletic fee of $150 per semester for students starting next academic year.

The panel debated the measure earlier this week before passing it Friday.

The fee is expected to raise between $7 million and $8 million for the athletic department in 2025-26. The school had long resisted such fees and has not charged its students for single-game available tickets to athletic events.

Undergraduates at rival South Carolina were charged $86 per semester in athletic fees this academic year, according to the school's website.

Clemson said the fees would "reflect the institution's commitment to a healthy and vibrant varsity athletic program and an investment in the student experience."

Power conference schools have been looking for new ways to raise money following an agreement to pay $2.78 billion in damages to hundreds of thousands of athletes dating to 2016. As part of that settlement, schools have agreed to distribute up to $21 million in revenue to athletes annually, starting as early as next fall.