Delaware Tailgating at Delaware Stadium: Lots, Times & Rules

Quick answers

What time do the Delaware lots open?

Season and single-game lots open 4 hours before kickoff for parking and tailgating. Once the game starts, Delaware asks you to head into the stadium or leave the lots.

Can you grill at Delaware tailgates?

Yes, with gas. Delaware's 2026 A-Z guide says charcoal grills are not permitted, but gas grills are.

Can you drink at Delaware tailgates?

Delaware's 2021 tailgating policy, still linked from the 2026 A-Z, says fans of legal drinking age can have open alcohol only inside the game-day lots before kickoff, bans kegs, party balls, beer tubs and other common containers, and bars drinking in line at the gates or in the lots during the game. No newer alcohol rule is posted.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Delaware?

Delaware doesn't post a ticket rule for the lots, but once the game begins you're expected to enter the stadium or leave the property.

How do you buy parking at Delaware?

Buy a single-game pass online in advance at bluehens.com/tickets (print it and bring it), or pay at the lot on game day. All game-day parking is credit or debit card only, and prices vary by lot.

The game-day timeline

4 hrs beforeSeason and single-game lots open
3 hrs beforeStudent tailgate lot opens. Flight Path team arrival; Entrance A closes for about 15 minutes
2 hrs beforeFan Zone opens
90 min beforeGates open
KickoffHead into the stadium or leave the lots
2 hrs afterPostgame tailgating ends

Where to park

Your lot decides your entrance, so check it before you drive in.

Single game: Townsend Hall lot and the Ice Arena lot (Entrance E off S. College Ave), Woods Grass Lot (Entrance G off Route 4), and the STAR North and Tower lots on STAR Campus.
Ice Arena: Reserved general admission, entered at Entrance D, with its own higher price.
Reserved: Blue VIP at Entrance B and Blue Champion at Entrance C, both off S. College Ave northbound only. The Nest and other VIP permits use Entrance F off Route 4.
Closed: The STAR South lot is closed all season. Park in STAR Tower or STAR North.
Accessible: Entrance F off Route 4 (westbound only), with an advance single-game pass and a valid ADA placard. Free shuttles run between ADA parking and the stadium.
Students: Field 9, the grass lot behind Bob Hannah Stadium, opens 3 hours before kickoff for all students with a UD ID and a free student ticket.

Delaware Stadium game-day parking and entrances in Newark, simplified

See the official Delaware Stadium parking map

Entrance A closes for about 15 minutes during the Flight Path, roughly 3 hours before kickoff. Plan around it.
Don't save spaces for friends arriving later, and don't park in driveways, exits or fire lanes. Lot staff direct the parking.
No car? Students get free game-day shuttles from Independence, Perkins and George Read to Sincock Lane.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against bluehens.com.

Delaware keeps tailgates small and tidy. Here's what that means for your setup.

Grills: Gas grills only. Charcoal is not permitted.
Alcohol: Per the 2021 tailgating policy: legal drinking age, inside the game-day lots, before kickoff only. Show ID when asked.
Not allowed: Personal porta-potties (2026 A-Z). Per the 2021 policy, also kegs, party balls, beer tubs and other common containers, loud music and drinking games.
Tents: Not in parking spaces, and never blocking traffic or fire lanes.
Your space: The area right behind your vehicle. Keep driveways clear, and no saving spaces.
When it ends: At kickoff, then up to 2 hours after the game.
Bags at the gate: New for 2026: clear bags up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a clutch or fanny pack up to 5 x 7 inches. Evolv screening.
Gates open: 90 minutes before kickoff. No re-entry, and the stadium is cashless.

Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

Delaware Stadium A-Z guide 2026 Delaware football gameday updates Delaware parking information and tailgating policies Delaware Stadium parking and gate entry map

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

Pack for Newark

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Where the party is

Delaware tailgates tight: your car, the space behind it, and a 4-hour runway to kickoff that gets shorter on a weeknight. The band, the team arrival and a free fan zone all happen on the same stretch by the Bob Carpenter Center.

The free party

i.g. Burton Fan Zone

In the small lot between the Bob Carpenter Center and the Hen House, free and open to the public, from 2 hours before kickoff. Music, inflatables, face painting and games.

The moment

The Flight Path

The team arrives about 3 hours before kickoff at Entrance A on South College Ave and walks to the stadium, with the band and spirit squads lining the way in front of the Bob Carpenter Center.

The student side

Field 9 student lot

The grass lot behind Bob Hannah Stadium, open 3 hours before kickoff with music, games and food, free for UD students.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Gas grills only, so leave the charcoal at home.

Getting out

Everyone leaves onto South College Ave or Route 4, and several entrances are one direction only. Your options, best first:

Stay and tailgate. You get up to 2 hours after the game to let South College Ave clear.
Take the ADA shuttle if you need it. Shuttles loop from the stadium to ADA parking for about 30 to 45 minutes after the game.
Floor it at the final whistle. Into one-way entrances and a line of brake lights on Route 896.

First time here?

Lots open 4 hours before kickoff.
Gas grills only. No charcoal.
Card only for game-day parking.
Stay in the space behind your car. No tents in parking spaces.
New for 2026: clear bag only.
Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff, no re-entry.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

The Fan Zone is free and open to everyone, so start there. Then walk the lots in your colors with something to share and say hello before you step into a setup. Visiting team pass-list tickets are picked up at the visiting team tent on the Bob Carpenter Center plaza.

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