Quick answers
What time do the Carter-Finley lots open?
5 hours before kickoff, every parking gate. Don't line up on public roads before then, or you can be towed. For weekday games, Westchase and Cardinal Gibbons don't open until 5 p.m.
Can you grill at NC State tailgates?
Yes. Keep charcoal grills and other open-flame cookers 10 feet from anything combustible, never leave them unattended, and put out the coals before you go in. Open-flame fires are banned.
Can you drink at NC State tailgates?
Beer and unfortified wine are the only alcoholic drinks allowed in NC State-controlled lots. No liquor.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Carter-Finley?
You need a parking permit. All parking on the stadium grounds is reserved, and there's no drop-off. Everyone going into the stadium needs a ticket, except children 2 and under on a lap.
How do you buy parking at NC State?
Season permits go through the Wolfpack Club. Single-game passes for Westchase, Cardinal Gibbons, Trinity, Frank Weedon and Highway 54 are sold with tickets online or by phone, and on game day while they last. Every lot is cashless.
The game-day timeline
- 5 hrs beforeEvery parking gate opens
- 3 hrs beforeThe Lowes Foods Fan Zone opens
- 2.5 hrs beforeWalk of Champions at the Murphy Center
- 2 hrs beforeLive music starts in the Fan Zone
- 1.5 hrs beforeStadium gates open
- Next day, 8 AMCars left overnight have to be gone
Where to park
Every space at Carter-Finley takes a permit, and the lots are color-coded by entry gate. Know your color before you leave home.
- Red
- Stadium West through Gate C off Trinity Rd. Frank Weedon is across Trinity, and Highway 54 is at 5766 Chapel Hill Rd.
- Yellow and Gray
- The Arena lots around the Lenovo Center, off Edwards Mill Rd and Wade Ave. Cardinal Gibbons High School is Yellow too, crossing at Gate E.
- Purple
- Stadium North, the IPF lot and both Westchase lots, through Gate F off Westchase Blvd.
- Black and White
- Stadium Southeast and Fairgrounds Reserved through Gate A. The Murphy Center and motorhome lots come in at Gate B off Youth Center Dr.
- Orange
- The Trinity Lot and the Fairgrounds student lot, through Gate G.
- RV
- Non-reserved RV parking runs through the NC State Fairgrounds. That lot opens 5 hours before kickoff too.
- Accessible
- Westchase Handicap Lot, 4011 Westchase Blvd, with a placard. An ADA bus runs to Gate 11 from when lots open.
Gate D is closed to the public on game days. Use the gate for your color.
Construction on Blue Ridge, Hillsborough, I-440 and Wade keeps changing traffic patterns. NC State says use a navigation app and expect a slower exit.
No car? Rideshare and taxis drop off and pick up near NC State Fairgrounds Gate 8, at Trinity Rd and Youth Center Dr. There's no drop-off on the stadium grounds.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against gopack.com and brand.ncsu.edu.
NC State publishes real lot rules, and the alcohol and fire ones are specific. Learn them.
- Grills
- Charcoal grills and open-flame cookers 10 feet from anything combustible. Attended, and coals put out properly.
- Fire
- Open-flame fires are banned. Fire pits need a screen and 25 feet; portable fireplaces like a Solo Stove need 15 feet.
- Alcohol
- Beer and unfortified wine only, in every NC State-controlled lot.
- Tents
- Inside your own space. No blocking neighbors, walkways or travel lanes. No permanent structures.
- Noise
- No amplified sound. Stay within Raleigh's noise ordinance.
- Not allowed
- Golf carts, hoverboards, motorized scooters, beer trolleys, drones, and promo giveaways without approval.
- When it ends
- You can leave the car overnight, but it has to be picked up by 8 a.m. the next day.
- Bags at the gate
- Check NC State's bag policy. One sealed water bottle per person, or an empty bottle up to 32 oz.
- Gates open
- 1.5 hours before kickoff. Pass-outs from 5 minutes left in the 2nd quarter until the 3rd starts.
Before you go
2026 football tailgating and parkingCarter-Finley Stadium guide (A-Z)Football ingress and egressFootball parking map (rev. Sept 2024)Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Raleigh
What we'd bring.
-
Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45
Ships free
-
55 qt Hard Cooler, 60 Cans
$299
Ships free
One cooler for the whole crew parked at the car: about 60 cans on ice.
More for this lot
Early-season Raleigh afternoons run hot, and late-season night games get cold. Check the forecast that week.
Where the party is
Carter-Finley is ringed by lots on all sides, with the Lenovo Center lots to the west and the Fairgrounds across Trinity Road. Five hours, a whole lot of grills and nothing amplified: the soundtrack is the crowd.
The moment
The Walk of Champions
2.5 hours before kickoff, the band, cheerleaders and dance team welcome the team at the flagpoles by Gate B, past the wolf statue and into the Murphy Center.
The open door
Raleighwood
The stadium's northeast corner near Gate 11: food trucks, a beer den and live music before the game.
The giveaways
The Lowes Foods Fan Zone
Opens 3 hours out with free giveaways, games, photo spots and sponsor samples, then live music at 2 hours.
What to eat
Grills are welcome, so the lots cook. Raleighwood adds food trucks near Gate 11.
Getting out
NC State itself warns the exit is slower than it used to be. Your options, best first:
- Leave the car overnight. NC State allows it, as long as it's picked up by 8 a.m. the next day.
- Follow your color's exit route. Every lot has an assigned way out: Red turns right on Trinity, Purple goes left on Blue Ridge, Gray exits Gate H onto Wade.
- Rideshare from Fairgrounds Gate 8. Pickup is at Trinity Rd and Youth Center Dr.
Skip this
Pull out at the final whistle without a plan. Construction detours plus a full stadium. Bring patience.
First time here?
- Parking gates open 5 hours before kickoff. No lining up on public roads.
- Bring a card. Every game-day lot is cashless.
- Beer and unfortified wine only in the lots. Leave the liquor home.
- Keep the grill 10 feet from anything that burns.
- Catch the Walk of Champions at the Murphy Center, 2.5 hours before kickoff.
- Gates open 1.5 hours before kickoff, with one sealed water bottle allowed.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
Raleighwood and the Fan Zone are easy first stops. In the lots, wear your colors, bring something to share and wait for a wave before you step into a setup.
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Your Carter-Finley 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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