Can't miss
- The 67-foot Sam Houston The giant white statue of the town's namesake stands beside I-45 on the way into Huntsville. You can't miss it, and you shouldn't.
Quick answers
What time does Sam Houston tailgating open?
Parking at Bowers Stadium opens 3 hours before kickoff, and the public and reserved lots open for tailgating then. Bearkat Alley, the official tailgate area, opens 2 hours before the game.
Can you grill at Sam Houston tailgates?
Sam Houston's tailgating rules allow open flames, but they must be put out before you enter the stadium. Dispose of charcoal properly, never in trash cans or under trees.
Can you drink at Sam Houston tailgates?
Per Sam Houston's tailgating rules, UPD monitors alcohol and tickets minors, alcoholic drinks must be in an unmarked, non-transparent plastic cup, and glass bottles, cans and kegs aren't allowed.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Sam Houston?
Sam Houston doesn't post a ticket rule for the lots. Reserved lots need a valid pass, and everyone needs a ticket, whatever their age, to enter Bowers Stadium.
How do you buy parking at Sam Houston?
Orange Lot parking is sold prepaid as a digital pass, or paid on game day at Entrance P-4 off Bearkat Blvd, first come, while it lasts. Game-day parking is cashless. Blue and Green are VIP lots with hang tags.
The game-day timeline
- 3 hrs beforeParking opens. Public and reserved lots open for tailgating
- 2 hrs beforeBearkat Alley opens
- Before you go inPut out flames and pack away tents, tables and chairs
Where to park
Every lot is color coded and has its own entrance. Know yours before you turn in.
- Orange Lot
- Prepaid and game-day paid parking, wrapping the north end. Prepaid enters at P-1 (Montgomery Rd, inside lane) or P-5 off Bearkat Blvd; game-day paid at P-4 off Bearkat Blvd.
- Green Lot
- VIP hang tags, along the west stands. Enter at P-2 from Bowers Blvd.
- Blue Lot
- VIP hang tags, by the Mafrige Field House and Don Sanders Stadium. Enter at P-3, from Sycamore Ave only.
- Accessible
- ADA parking is in the Green Lot, bought ahead through the Bearkat Ticket Office (936-294-1729). Show a valid ADA credential at P-2.
- Towing
- Street parking isn't allowed, and cars in the Bearkat Blvd median get towed, per the A-Z guide.
Have your digital pass or hang tag out as you pull up. Sam Houston says it speeds up every entrance.
From Sycamore Ave, use the westbound lanes on Bowers Blvd: the outside lane for the Blue Lot, either lane for the Green Lot.
No car? Sam Houston doesn't post a game-day shuttle or rideshare zone.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against gobearkats.com and shsu.edu.
Per Sam Houston's tailgating rules, linked from the 2026 football page. They're few, and the cup rule is the one that surprises people.
- Alcohol
- In an unmarked, non-transparent plastic cup only. UPD monitors, and minors get ticketed.
- Not allowed
- Glass bottles, cans and kegs. No pets in tailgate or public parking areas.
- Grills
- Open flames are allowed, but put them out before you enter. Dispose of charcoal properly.
- Tents
- Tents, tables and chairs must be put away before you enter the stadium.
- Your space
- Stay in your designated space, and leave it free of trash.
- Bags at the gate
- Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a 1-gallon bag, or a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. No backpacks, fanny packs, umbrellas or chairback seats.
- Gates open
- Enter at the gate on your ticket.
Before you go
2026 Bowers Stadium game day traffic and parking2026 Bowers Stadium parking mapSHSU tailgating policies2026 designated gates of entry to Bowers StadiumOfficial pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Huntsville
What we'd bring.
-
Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45
Ships free
-
Dubler Party Cooler
$169.89
Ships free
Drinks on one side, cold food on the other, so one cooler covers the whole spread.
-
Dubler Chill Boards, Set of 2
$38.89
Ships free
More for this lot
-
Monument G22 Tabletop Gas Grill, 2 Burners$199 · Ships free
September in Huntsville is hot and humid with afternoon storms. Bring shade, water and a plan to pack up fast.
Where the party is
2026 is the first season at the renovated Bowers Stadium, and the tailgate is back on campus with it. Bearkat Alley is the official tailgate, run with student groups and campus departments handing out food, games and giveaways.
The official tailgate
Bearkat Alley
Sam Houston's tailgate tradition on Bowers Blvd, with free food, games and giveaways from student groups and campus departments. Opens 2 hours before kickoff.
The big lot
Orange Lot
The prepaid and game-day paid lot around the north end of the stadium, with the only game-day paid entrance at P-4 off Bearkat Blvd.
What to eat
Open flames are allowed, so grill what you like, then put it out before you head in. Drinks go in opaque plastic cups.
Getting out
Bowers sits between Bowers Blvd and Bearkat Blvd, with color-coded entrances on both. Your options, best first:
- Leave the way you came in. Your lot's entrance is your best guess at the cleanest exit.
- Head for TX-19 via Bearkat Blvd. Sam Houston's directions route I-45 traffic through Bearkat Blvd and TX-19.
- Gun it the second it ends. Into one boulevard on each side of the stadium and everybody else.
First time here?
- Parking opens 3 hours before kickoff. Bearkat Alley opens 2 hours out.
- Alcohol goes in an opaque plastic cup. No glass, cans or kegs.
- Game-day parking is cashless.
- Know your lot color and entrance before you arrive.
- Pack up tents and put out flames before you go in.
- Clear bag only, and enter at the gate on your ticket.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
Bearkat Alley is the official tailgate, so it's the easy first stop. Bring something to share and say hello before you step into a setup. Visiting fans and visiting player guests enter at Gate 6, the southeast entrance.
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Your Bowers 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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