marla31cut_03.JPG

University of Akron students cheer at the kickoff of the Zips football game against the University of Central Florida on Aug. 30, 2012. The game drew 12,616 fans.

(Ed Suba Jr., Akron Beacon Journal)

AKRON, Ohio - University of Akron students are being lured to Tuesday night's nationally televised football game by the chance to win free tuition for spring semester – a prize worth $4,309.08.

And just in case the students don't get the message – the university has sent emails about the offer to parents.

Three tuition prizes will be awarded to randomly chosen students at the game. Another student, who has used #ZipsBlackout on social media the most by noon Tuesday, will also receive free tuition.

Officials hope the innovative promotion fills InfoCision Stadium –Summa Field as the Akron Zips play Bowling Green State University.

The university opened a football stadium on campus in 2009 with the hope of drawing more students, especially as it expanded on-campus housing.

Students attend games for free. But the average attendance for the four home games this year has been 9,775 in the 27,000-seat stadium, according to the football website.

It is not known how many students attend, said Cathy Bongiovi, assistant athletic director for communications.

The university wants a big crowd because the game against the defending MAC champion will be televised on ESPN2.

The university has dubbed the game #ZipsBlackout, with the home team wearing all black uniforms and gold chrome helmets.

Fans are encouraged to wear black. The first 5,000 who enter the stadium will receive a free long-sleeve black shirt. Gold paper helmets also will be distributed to students.

"We want to reward the student body for its support and hopefully bring more people to the game," Bongiovi said about the tuition prizes.

She said Athletic Director Tom Wistrcill proposed the promotion, which needed approval from the administration and the legal department, which approved the rules.

Students will scan their Zip Card to enter the game. The names of two students will be announced during each of three media timeouts in each of the first three quarter - for a total of 18 names. If a student does not check in within 10 minutes another name will be drawn.

The students whose names are drawn will sit together until the last drawing at the end of the third quarter. Their student ID cards will be placed in a helmet and Zippy the mascot will draw three.

The tuition is the amount for an in-state student and winners will have to pay $650 in student fees for the semester.

Students must enter the stadium before kickoff and student-athletes are not eligible to win.

Student promotions have been held during games but nothing at the level of free tuition, Bongiovi said.

"It will hopefully help," she said. "We have very loyal students but this year it is hard to get them motivated to come to games."

A tuition giveaway tied to a football game may be the first by a university.

The University of Iowa in July suspended a promotion to raffle off free tuition to five students who bought $175 season tickets to Hawkeye football games.

Questions were raised about its legality and if it would be compliant with state raffle laws.

The tuition prize was worth about $8,000.

It will not cost UA students anything to enter the tuition contest other than three hours of their time.