Wisconsin Badgers · College · Big Ten

Tailgating at Camp Randall Stadium

Lots open
7 a.m. Sat, most games
Grills
Surface lots only · no ramps
Alcohol
Designated lots only

Checked Oct 14, 2026

The brick arches of Camp Randall Stadium's south end beside Gate 5, with the east grandstand rising at right
Photo: Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

Madison barely has a parking lot to tailgate in, and it doesn't need one. The scene lives in the Regent Street bars, which turn their lots into parties, and in the student houses on Breese Terrace and Mifflin. If you weren't invited to a house party, stay on Regent or go to Badger Bash at Union South, which takes anybody in any colors. Expect brats simmered in beer and onions, and if you're wearing the other team, the cornhole and beer-pong crowd on Regent will jeer a little, nothing worse, unless the other team is Minnesota. Save something for between the third and fourth quarters, when "Jump Around" starts and the whole stadium jumps with it.

The lot answer

The campus lots are mostly season permits through Badger Select, which is why the scene lives off campus. Day of, it's first come in the lots with room, with Lot 60 and the Lot 46 and 67 ramps on this year's map, and the Bucky Shuttle runs from Lots 60 and 64 to Breese Terrace if you buy the pass online ahead. Buses and RVs go to Lot 64 only, at 606 Walnut St.

Get the Pregame for the Badgers. Your lot, your game and what to cook, every week. Free.Get the Pregame for the Badgers

lots close, day after the game
1 AM
Badger Bash opens pre-kickoff
2.5 hrs
Get the Pregame for the BadgersEmail me Or get the one-page game-day sheet
Rules checked Oct 14, 2026
Sources

Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against uwbadgers.com, policy.wisc.edu and union.wisc.edu.

Add a tip
Something changed?

Can't miss

  1. Jump Around Between the third and fourth quarters, the whole stadium jumps, and the press box shakes.
  2. The Fifth Quarter After the final whistle, the band plays on. Don't leave.

Quick answers

What time do the Camp Randall lots open?

Campus lots open at 7 a.m. for Saturday games, or 6 a.m. for the earliest kickoffs. Weeknight games open in the afternoon, so check your permit. All lots close at 1 a.m. the day after the game.

Can you grill at Camp Randall?

Yes, on the asphalt of surface lots and out of the drive and fire lanes. No open flames or wood fires, and no grills of any kind, propane or electric, in a parking ramp or garage.

Can you drink at Wisconsin tailgates?

UW allows alcohol in lots designated for it on football days, for special events permit holders and their guests. Lot 34 is alcohol-free, and open containers aren't allowed elsewhere on campus.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate?

The rules don't ask for a game ticket, but lot tailgating is for special events parking permit holders and their guests, in their own stall. Badger Bash at Union South is free and open to everyone.

How do you buy parking for a Badgers game?

Season permits go through Badger Select. Day of, a few lots sell first come, first served at the gate, and cards are accepted. Bus and RV parking in Lot 64 is sold ahead by the ticket office.

The game-day timeline

  1. 7 AMCampus lots open for most Saturday games (6 a.m. for the earliest kickoffs)
  2. 6 hrs beforeMonroe St and Breese Terrace close to traffic by the stadium
  3. 2.5 hrs beforeBadger Bash opens at Union South
  4. 2 hrs beforeThe Bucky Shuttle starts running, about every 15 minutes
  5. 90 min beforePublic and student gates open
  6. PostgameThe UW Marching Band plays the Fifth Quarter
  7. 1 AMLots close, the morning after the game

Where to park

Most stadium lots are season permits. Day of, you're hunting for space in a handful of lots, first come, first served.

Season permits
Sold through Badger Select. Your permit lists the lot, its address and its height clearance.
Day of
First come, first served at lots with space, cards accepted. The 2026 map lists Lot 60 (surface) and the Lot 46 and 67 ramps.
Lots 15, 16, Credit Union
Monroe St closes 6 hours before kickoff. Lots 15 and 16 enter at Randall Ave; Credit Union goes through a checkpoint at Monroe and Regent.
Bucky Shuttle
From Lots 60 and 64 to Breese Terrace and University Ave. Buy the pass online ahead; there are no on-site sales.
Bus / RV
Lot 64 only (606 Walnut St). Buy from the ticket office up to a week out; anything left sells day of. Limos, semis and trailers are barred.
Accessible
Lot 17, levels 1 to 4. Single-game permits go on sale at 8:30 a.m. the Monday before each home game. Clearance is 8 feet 2 inches.
Camp Randall Stadium game-day parking, simplified
Camp Randall Stadium game-day parking, simplified
 See the official Camp Randall Stadium parking map

Badger Way from the Camp Randall Arch to the north end is closed all season. Head to Engineering Dr for Gates 3 to 5, and to Monroe St for the rest.
Accessible drop-off is on Little St and at Old University Ave and Breese Terrace.
No car? Madison Metro's BRT stops at the Orchard and East Campus stations, close to the stadium. The bike corral behind the UW Credit Union on Monroe St opens 2 hours before kickoff.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against uwbadgers.com, policy.wisc.edu and union.wisc.edu.

Wisconsin's rules turn on one question: is your spot a surface lot or a ramp?

Grills
On the asphalt of surface lots, out of drive and fire lanes, away from cars. No open flames or wood fires. No grills of any kind in ramps or garages.
Charcoal
Into a metal bucket, doused with water, and it leaves with your vehicle. Never the dumpster or the landscaping.
Alcohol
Only in lots designated for it, for permit holders and their guests. Lot 34 is alcohol-free. No open containers elsewhere on campus.
Tents
Pop-ups are fine in surface lots, weighed down, and down when nobody's there. None on ramp roofs, including Lots 17, 20, 36, 46, 67 and 76.
Your space
One stall per pass, tailgate right around your vehicle, and keep drive and fire lanes clear.
Generators
Allowed, fully vented and away from tailgaters. No refueling on site.
When it ends
Lots close at 1 a.m. the day after the game. No overnight parking in any university lot.
Bags at the gate
Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a 1-gallon clear bag, or a clutch up to 6.5 x 4.5 inches. No re-entry.
Gates open
90 minutes before kickoff, with metal detectors at every gate.
Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

Wisconsin football tailgating FAQs2026 Wisconsin football Know Before You GoBucky ShuttleUW-Madison alcohol beverage regulations2026 football parking and transportation map (PDF)

Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.

Pack for Madison

What we'd bring.

Shipping and returns

Gear for Wisconsin fans

In stock now.

All Wisconsin gear →

Where the party is

Camp Randall sits in the middle of campus, so the tailgate is spread over dozens of lots and ramps instead of one big field. The official meeting point is Badger Bash across the street, and nobody leaves before the band does.

The official one

Badger Bash at Union South

Free and open to the public, across the street from the stadium, from 2.5 hours before kickoff: the UW Marching Band, Bucky, the Spirit Squad, food and drinks.

Room to grill

Lot 60

The big surface lot on University Bay Dr, sold day of, first come. Grills are fine on the asphalt and the Bucky Shuttle runs to the stadium.

Front row

Lots 15 and 16

Season-permit lots right by the stadium, entered from Randall Ave once Monroe St closes.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Brats are the base. Even Dairy Farmers of Wisconsin's tailgate board for Badgers game days puts grilled bratwurst next to the cheese.

Cook thisWisconsin beer brats

Getting out

Nobody's in a hurry once the band starts up. Your options, best first:

  1. Stay for the Fifth Quarter. Win or lose, the band plays postgame and the crowd sings along. Monroe St doesn't reopen until an hour after the game anyway.
  2. Ride the Bucky Shuttle back. It runs up to 1 hour after the game from Breese Terrace and University Ave to Lots 60 and 64.
  3. Take BRT. Orchard and East Campus stations are the closest stops.

  4. Skip this

    Turn right out of the Credit Union lot. You can't. Wait for the foot traffic to thin out, then turn left, westbound. It's the only way out.

First time here?

  • Riding the Bucky Shuttle? Buy the pass online before you leave. There are no on-site sales.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

Start at Badger Bash. It's free, open to everyone and right across the street.

Free · one page · works offline

Your Camp Randall Stadium game-day sheet, by email

One page for the lot: where to park, when it opens, what you can bring.

Or download it now

We don't sell your email.

More College stadium guides

All guides

Read next from The Lot

All stories