Can't miss
- MACtion on a weeknight Kent's November home finale is a midweek night game, the MAC's weeknight football. Bring gloves and a loud voice.
Quick answers
What time do the Dix Stadium lots open?
Stadium parking lots open 3 hours before game time, and Kent State says to arrive at least an hour before kickoff to be sure of parking. For Homecoming, Kent State said the tailgating lots opened 4 hours before the game.
Can you grill at Kent State tailgates?
Yes, with charcoal. Kent State encourages charcoal grills and gives you red trash cans for used coals. Propane tanks aren't allowed in the stadium lots.
Can you drink at Kent State tailgates?
Tailgating in the Dix Stadium lots falls under Ohio law and Kent State policy, so it's 21 and over. Glass and kegs are banned in the lots, and no outside alcohol goes into the stadium.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Kent State?
Kent State doesn't post a ticket rule for the lots. Day-of parking in the East and West lots is first come, first served. You need a ticket for the stadium.
How do you buy parking at Kent State?
Season parking passes go by donor level, and you must be a season ticket holder. Everyone else pays on game day at the East and West lots, cash or card, or parks free on Summit St west of Route 261 and rides the shuttle.
The game-day timeline
- 3 hrs beforeStadium parking lots open
- 2 hrs beforeSummit St may close at Cline Rd (1 to 2 hours out)
- 90 min beforeGates open and beer sales start inside
- 1 hr beforePowder Mill Rd closes to Summit St. Be parked by now
Where to park
Two paid lots at the stadium, and free lots up Summit St with a shuttle.
- West Lot
- Beside the stadium on Summit St, with a VIP section on the stadium side. Permit, or pay on game day.
- East Lot
- East of the stadium. The 2026 map marks it game day employee parking, with paid parking for the rest.
- Free lots
- On Summit St west of Route 261, including the Summit East auxiliary lot, with a free shuttle to the stadium.
- RV
- Pay on game day in the East and West lots at the RV and oversized rate.
- Students
- Residence hall students can ride the free shuttle from the Student Center.
- Season passes
- Given by donor level. You must be a season ticket holder.
On game day it's right turn only from Cline Rd onto Summit St, and Summit St may close at Cline Rd 1 to 2 hours before kickoff.
Powder Mill Rd closes to Summit St 1 hour before kickoff. Come in from the west on Summit St or Route 261.
No car? Free shuttles loop Summit St between campus and the stadium, with stops at the free lots and the Student Center. Download the Kent State Athletics app for game day parking and travel updates.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against kentstatesports.com and kent.edu.
Kent State flips the usual grill rule. Here's what changes your packing list.
- Grills
- Charcoal encouraged. Dump used coals in the red trash cans in the tailgating areas.
- Not allowed
- Propane tanks, glass and kegs in the stadium lots.
- Alcohol
- Ohio law and Kent State policy apply in the lots. Only alcohol bought inside goes in the stadium.
- Your space
- Don't take up empty spaces or block traffic. Drive lanes stay open at all times.
- Who's responsible
- Tailgate hosts are responsible for their functions and guests. Permit holders own what happens in their spaces.
- Bags at the gate
- Nothing bigger than 14 x 14 inches, and every bag gets checked. No coolers.
- Gates open
- 90 minutes before kickoff.
Before you go
Dix Stadium Fan GuideFootball game day road closures map (updated Aug. 15, 2026)KSU football parking and bus map (2026)Kent State 2026 football promotional scheduleOfficial pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Kent
What we'd bring.
-
Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45
Ships free
-
55 qt Hard Cooler, 60 Cans
$299
Ships free
Kent is a charcoal lot and propane tanks are banned. Bring your charcoal grill and this for the crew.
November in the MAC means weeknight football, and Kent's home finale is a midweek night game. Bring gloves.
Where the party is
Dix sits out on the east side of Kent, away from the main campus, with its lots wrapped right around it. This is a charcoal tailgate by rule, with red cans in the lots for the coals and a short 3-hour window to use them.
The main lot
West Lot
The big lot on the stadium's west side, next to the Adam S. Hamilton West Entrance. Alumni chapters hosted their Homecoming tailgates here in 2026.
The free side
Summit St free lots
Free parking west of Route 261 with the shuttle.
Homecoming
Flash Nation Tailgate
Kent State's Homecoming tailgate in the Dix Stadium lot, noon to 3:30 p.m. on Homecoming Saturday.
Getting out
Summit Street is the spine of game day, in and out. Your options, best first:
- Ride the shuttle back. If you parked free west of Route 261, the shuttle takes you back along Summit St.
- Head west on Summit. Route 261 and Horning Rd connect back to the rest of town.
- Try Powder Mill Rd. It closes to Summit St an hour before kickoff, so don't build your exit around it.
First time here?
- Free parking on Summit St west of Route 261, with a shuttle.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
Park in the West Lot if you can; that's where the stadium-side tailgating is.
Free · one page · works offline
Your Dix 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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