Can't miss
- "Sweet Caroline" after the third quarter Pitt fans sing it with their own line: "Let's go Pitt!" in place of the "bah, bah, bah."
- Cathedral of Learning Pitt's 42-story Gothic tower stands over campus in Oakland. Ride up the morning of the game and look in the Nationality Rooms.
Quick answers
What time do the lots open for Pitt games?
5 hours before kickoff, and cars can't wait at a lot entrance before it opens. The Kamin Science Center lots open about 4 hours before. Alco asks everyone to leave within 1 hour after the game.
Can you grill at Pitt tailgates?
Yes, in the surface lots. Pitt bans open fires other than cooking grills. There's no tailgating or open flame in any garage, and no grilling in the Kamin Science Center lots.
Can you drink at Pitt tailgates?
Pitt's and Alco's rules don't post a drinking rule, but glass is banned and selling food or alcohol in the lots isn't allowed. City police patrol the lots. Drinking under 21 is illegal.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Pitt?
Pitt's rules don't say so, but every space is sold for parking a car, not for tailgating, and you tailgate in your own space. Roc'n on Rooney on Art Rooney Avenue is the free pregame for everyone.
How do you buy parking for Pitt games?
Season parking goes to Pitt season ticket holders through the Panthers Ticket Office, and those sales close after the home opener. Single-game parking isn't sold by Pitt: buy it ahead on the parking apps Pitt links, such as ParkWhiz, SpotHero or ParkMobile.
Where to park
The lots are the same Alco lots the Steelers use, but Pitt sets its own game-day rules. Every car gets directed to one space.
- Gold
- Lots 1A, 1B and 2 and the Gold 1 garage, on the stadium's east side. Season passes.
- Red and Clark
- Red 5A, 6 and 7A to 7D, the Red 5 garage and the Clark lots, northeast along Reedsdale Street.
- Green
- Green 22 and 23 to the northwest.
- Kamin lots
- Green 31, 32 and 33 by the Kamin Science Center. Open about 4 hours out. At your car only, no grilling, no tents.
- Garages
- Blue 10, NOVA Place and the Champions Garage, among others. No tailgating in any garage.
- RV / oversize
- Not in the North Shore lots: RVs, limos, box trucks, rental vehicles and other oversized vehicles. Bus and RV parking elsewhere is limited.
- Accessible
- Alco doesn't presell accessible spaces. Limited spaces at every location, and some single-game spots on game day.
Don't sit at a lot entrance before it opens. Pitt doesn't allow it, and police enforce no waiting on the streets.
Your pass is electronic, and pass holders answer for their guests. Break the rules and you can be ejected without a refund.
No car? Pitt points fans to Pittsburgh Regional Transit's T light rail and shuttle buses, or a game-day Gateway Clipper riverboat across the river.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against pittsburghpanthers.com, alcoparking.com and acrisurestadium.com.
Pitt and Alco both have rules for the North Shore lots, and both apply on Saturdays.
- Grills
- Cooking grills only. No other open fires, no flames in garages and no grilling in the Kamin lots.
- Tents
- Not allowed, and neither are beach umbrellas.
- Your space
- Spaces are sold for parking a car only. Your tailgate stays in your paid space. Folding chairs and tables only.
- Alcohol
- No glass, and no selling food or alcohol in the lots. City police patrol.
- Not allowed
- Portable toilets, limos, RVs, box trucks, rental vehicles, and in the Kamin lots beer pong and loitering.
- When it ends
- Leave the lot within 1 hour after the game.
- Students
- Student tickets enter at Gate C on the west side, with wristbands for the student sections.
- Bags at the gate
- Acrisure's clear bag policy applies. Metal detectors at every gate.
Before you go
Pitt football parking and tailgatingAlco Pitt Panthers parking and tailgating policyPitt 2026 expanded pregame experienceAcrisure Stadium clear bag policyOfficial pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Pittsburgh
What we'd bring.
-
Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45
Ships free
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27 qt Hard Cooler, 24 Cans
$199
Ships free
A hard cooler that fits the trunk and the tight space behind the car.
More for this lot
-
Tire Table Aluminum, Medium: Table That Mounts on Your Tire$199.95 · Ships free
November on the rivers gets cold and wet, and tents aren't allowed. Pack rain gear and layers.
Where the party is
Pitt doesn't sell space for tailgating, so the party fits in a parking space, and then it moves to Art Rooney Avenue. Roc'n on Rooney starts 3 hours before every home game, and the team comes up the same street about 30 minutes later.
The open door
Roc'n on Rooney
Pitt's pregame fan fest on Art Rooney Avenue starts 3 hours before kickoff at every home game, with lawn games, vendors, a kids zone on the turf next door and concerts at select games.
The moment
The Panther Prowl
About 2.5 hours before kickoff, the team arrives on Art Rooney Avenue with the Pitt Marching Band and Spirit Teams while fans line the route.
The close-in lots
The Gold lots
Gold 1A, 1B and 2 sit right on the stadium's east side, steps from Art Rooney Avenue. Season passes only.
What to eat
Cooking grills are allowed in the surface lots for Pitt games, so plan to cook. Skip the Kamin lots if you plan to grill.
Getting out
Every North Shore lot empties at once, and Alco wants you out within the hour. Best first:
- Ride the T. Pitt points fans to Pittsburgh Regional Transit's light rail and shuttle buses.
- Take the riverboat. Gateway Clipper runs game-day riverboat rides across the river.
- Pack up slow. You have up to 1 hour after the game to clear the lot.
Skip this
Gun it for the bridge at the final whistle. You and the rest of the North Shore.
First time here?
- Lots open 5 hours before kickoff. Kamin lots about 4.
- Don't wait at a lot entrance before it opens.
- 1 car, 1 space. No tent, no beach umbrella, no glass.
- Cooking grill? Fine in the surface lots, never in a garage or a Kamin lot.
- Line Art Rooney Avenue for the Panther Prowl about 2.5 hours out.
- Leave the lot within 1 hour after the game.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
Roc'n on Rooney on Art Rooney Avenue is Pitt's free pregame, so it's the easy first stop. Wear your colors, bring something to share and keep it friendly in the lots.
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Your Acrisure Stadium game-day sheet, by email
One page for the lot: where to park, when it opens, what you can bring.
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