MTSU Tailgating at Floyd Stadium: Lots, Times & Rules

Quick answers

What time does MTSU tailgating open?

Walnut Grove opens at 7:30 a.m. on game day, and tailgating can start 4.5 hours before kickoff. Weeknight game times can shift around classes: for the Oct. 13 weeknight game, the Grove opened at noon.

Can you grill at MTSU tailgates?

MTSU's Walnut Grove guidelines don't ban grills, but they do ban dumping hot coals in the tailgate area or in trash cans. Clean your area before kickoff.

Can you drink at MTSU tailgates?

The Walnut Grove guidelines ban glass bottles, large containers, common drink dispensers and anything meant to speed up drinking, and every drink goes in a non-breakable cup. Inside Floyd Stadium, beer and wine are sold with a wristband from the ID station.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate at MTSU?

No ticket rule is posted. MTSU welcomes alumni, students, fans and friends to Walnut Grove, and you need a ticket to get into Floyd Stadium.

How do you buy parking at MTSU?

A season parking pass comes with Blue Raider Athletic Association (BRAA) membership or season tickets. Non-members can pay to park in the Greenland lot, and the Livestock, Lightning, Founders, Corlew and Bell Street lots are free and open to all.

The game-day timeline

7:30 a.m.Walnut Grove opens (weeknight games can differ)
4.5 hrs beforeTailgating can start in Walnut Grove
2.5 hrs beforeGolf cart shuttles start running to the gates
2 hrs beforeTicket booths open at Gates 1, 1A and 3
90 min beforeGates open
45 min beforeMusic and games stop in the Grove
30 min beforeThe Follow Me to Floyd parade leads fans in
2 hrs after kickoffWalnut Grove closes
1 hr afterGolf cart shuttles stop

Where to park

Floyd Stadium sits on the northwest corner of campus, with Greenland Drive to the north and Middle Tennessee Boulevard to the west.

BRAA lots: Greenland (G permit), Reese Smith (RS permit) and Jones (J permit). RV parking on campus is for donors with a permit only.
Pay to park: Non-members can pay to park in the Greenland lot, where ADA parking is too.
Free lots: TN Livestock lot on Greenland Dr, Lightning lot, Founders lot, Corlew lot and Bell St lot, open to all.
Getting in: From the north and east, Rutherford Blvd to Old Lascassas Hwy into the Greenland lot. From the south and west, Middle Tennessee Blvd to Greenland Dr.
Accessible: ADA parks in the Greenland lot. Golf cart shuttles run to the gates from 2.5 hours before kickoff to 1 hour after.
Rideshare: Pickup off Champion Way at the roundabout near the baseball stadium, and a designated area outside Gate 3.

Floyd Stadium game-day parking and Walnut Grove at MTSU, simplified

See the official Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium parking map

No vehicles of any kind inside Walnut Grove. Park first, then carry or roll your setup in.
Don't park on the east side of Old Main Circle or block a sidewalk. RVs in Greenland go through the athletic department.
No car? MTSU Athletics and a partner post Lyft promo codes for home games, and the rideshare pickup is off Champion Way near the baseball stadium.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against goblueraiders.com and mtsu.edu.

MTSU publishes a full set of Walnut Grove guidelines. These are the ones that shape your setup.

Alcohol: No glass, no large containers or common dispensers, nothing that speeds up drinking. Every drink in a non-breakable cup.
Grills: Not banned, but no dumping hot coals in the tailgate area or in trash cans.
Tents: Stand-alone tents over 12 x 12 feet need advance approval. No stakes or ground anchors.
Power: Small portable generators only, 1,500 to 2,000 watts. Gas generators need advance approval. No building power.
Not allowed: Vehicles, golf carts and gators in the Grove, indoor furniture, pets (service animals OK), tobacco, firearms.
When it ends: Music and games stop 45 minutes before kickoff. The Grove closes 2 hours after kickoff, and items left behind are thrown out.
Bags at the gate: Clear bag policy. No bottles, cans, coolers, umbrellas or backpacks inside.
Gates open: 90 minutes before kickoff.

Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

MTSU football Gameday Central 2026 Walnut Grove tailgating guidelines 2026 MTSU gameday parking map MTSU Athletics alcohol policy

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

Pack for Murfreesboro

What we'd bring.

Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45

Ships free
Folding Beach Wagon, Big Wheels
$129

Ships free
No vehicles in Walnut Grove, so you park first and pull the setup in.

Middle Tennessee Septembers run hot and humid, and November nights get cold. Bring shade early and layers late.

Shipping and returns

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

Where the party is

MTSU gives its tailgate a real home: Walnut Grove, a stretch of lawn on the old part of campus with a stage, food trucks and room for alumni, families and student groups. On game days, Party in the Grove brings the stage and ends with a parade to Floyd Stadium.

The main lawn

Walnut Grove

MTSU's official tailgate area along Old Main Circle, open to all fans, with space for alumni, families and fraternity and sorority tents.

The party

Party in the Grove

A main stage with live music, food trucks and family activities in Walnut Grove. It winds down 45 minutes before kickoff with the Follow Me to Floyd parade.

The moment

Raider Walk

The team, the Band of Blue and the cheer and dance teams come through Walnut Grove to greet fans along the south side of Peck Hall before the game.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Food trucks set up at Party in the Grove if you'd rather not cook. If you grill, keep your coals out of the trash cans and off the grass.

Getting out

Greenland Drive and Middle Tennessee Boulevard take most of the postgame load. Your options, best first:

Use the rideshare pickup. Off Champion Way at the roundabout near the baseball stadium, or the designated area outside Gate 3.
Walk back to a free lot. Bell Street, Corlew, Founders and Lightning sit south and east of the stadium, away from the Greenland lot.
Let the golf carts run. Shuttles keep going until 1 hour after the game if someone in the crew needs a lift.
Skip this
Pull out of Greenland the second it ends. You and every pass holder on Greenland Drive.

First time here?

Walnut Grove is the official tailgate. No vehicles inside it.
Tailgating starts 4.5 hours before kickoff.
Cups only. No glass or common drink dispensers.
No tent stakes. Bring weights.
Music and games stop 45 minutes before kickoff.
Clear bag policy at the gates, which open 90 minutes before kickoff.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

Walnut Grove welcomes alumni, students, fans and friends, so start at Party in the Grove. Walk the lawn in your colors with something to share and say hello before you step into a setup.

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