Can't miss
- The Memorial Fountain The fountain on campus honors the 75 people lost in the 1970 Marshall plane crash. The water is shut off each November 14 and turned back on in spring. Stop there.
- "We are... Marshall!" The call and answer runs all game, one side of the stadium to the other.
Quick answers
What time do the Marshall lots open?
It changes by game. Marshall posts the time in its Know Before You Go article for each home game. For the October night game against Coastal Carolina, the lots opened 6 hours before kickoff.
Can you grill at Marshall tailgates?
Marshall's 2026 game-day pages don't post a grill rule for the lots. Check with the ticket office at 800-THE-HERD before you bring one.
Can you drink at Marshall tailgates?
Marshall doesn't post a lot alcohol rule on its 2026 game-day pages, so state law applies. Inside The Joan, you go through weapons screening and there's no re-entry.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Marshall?
Marshall doesn't post one for the lots. You need a pass for season lots, or you buy single-game parking at the lot entrance. Everyone needs a ticket to get into the stadium.
How do you buy parking at Marshall?
Season lots like the West Lot, East Lot and Big Green Lot go with Big Green donations. Single-game parking is sold as you enter the Third Avenue Parking Garage, the 6th Ave. Lot, the Hal Greer Lot and the Engineering / RV Lot. Call 800-THE-HERD with questions.
The game-day timeline
- Per gameLots open at the time in that week's Know Before You Go
- 2 hrs 30 min beforeStadium ticket office opens at Gates A and D
- 2 hrs 20 min beforeThunder Walk and Fan Fest start (October night game)
- 2 hrs beforeGates open
- 30 min beforeStudents head to the field to Run With the Herd
Where to park
The lots that ring The Joan are season lots. Single-game drivers buy at the gate of a few lots farther out.
- West Lot
- Marshall's largest tailgating lot, between the stadium's west side and 20th Street. Season pass.
- Season lots
- East Lot, Church Lot by Gate C, A Lot, Big Green Lot, Softball, Baseball, Maple and the Third Avenue Garage, tied to Big Green giving.
- Single game
- Bought as you enter: Third Avenue Parking Garage, 6th Ave. Lot, Hal Greer Lot, and the Engineering / RV Lot.
- RV
- The Engineering / RV Lot behind the Engineering Complex on 3rd Avenue.
- Accessible
- Game day accessible parking isn't in the lots right around the stadium. A drop-off area sits on 4 1/2 Alley on the stadium's south side.
The Thunder Walk runs through the West Lot, from the 20th Street entrance nearest Third Avenue toward Gate A.
The Joan is cashless, and mobile tickets are tap to enter. Screenshots won't scan.
No pass? The Third Avenue Parking Garage across from the Cam Henderson Center sells single-game parking first come, a short walk down 3rd Avenue to the stadium.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against herdzone.com and marshall.edu.
Marshall posts more about the stadium than the lots. Here's what is on the record.
- Lot hours
- Set game by game in the Know Before You Go post.
- Grills
- No lot grill rule is posted on Marshall's 2026 pages.
- Alcohol
- No lot alcohol rule is posted. State law applies.
- Screening
- Weapons screening at every gate. No re-entry once your ticket scans.
- Bags at the gate
- Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a 1-gallon clear bag, or a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
- Seats
- Stadium seats up to 16 inches wide, with no armrests, cupholders or compartments.
- Smoking
- Prohibited inside Joan C. Edwards Stadium.
- Gates open
- 2 hours before kickoff. Tap-to-enter mobile tickets, and the stadium is cashless.
Before you go
Know Before You Go: Coastal Carolina (Oct. 2026)New experiences for Herd Nation at The Joan (2026)Marshall football parkingSafe To Stay With The HerdOfficial pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Huntington
What we'd bring.
-
Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45
Ships free
-
Dubler Party Cooler
$169.89
Ships free
Drinks on one side, cold food on the other, so one cooler covers the whole spread.
-
Dubler Chill Boards, Set of 2
$38.89
Ships free
Huntington Novembers get cold after dark, and night games end late. Bring a real jacket.
Where the party is
The Joan sits right in town between 3rd and 5th Avenues, and the West Lot is the big one, with the team walking straight through it. Fan Fest sets up across the street on the Rec Center field.
The big one
The West Lot
Marshall's largest tailgating lot, between the stadium and 20th Street, and the Thunder Walk route runs through it toward Gate A.
The free stop
Fan Fest
Free and open to everyone on the Marshall Rec Center field, with inflatables and family entertainment before you cross to The Joan.
The family stop
Kids Zone
A game-day zone for young fans with activities and entertainment.
What to eat
Marshall doesn't post a lot grill rule, so ask the ticket office before you bring fire, or bring food that's ready to serve. Inside, Stand 12 has family-priced concessions.
Getting out
The Joan sits in the middle of Huntington's street grid, so everyone empties onto the same avenues. Your options, best first:
- Walk to the garage. The Third Avenue Parking Garage is a few blocks west on 3rd Avenue.
- Sit tight in the lot. Let 3rd and 5th Avenues clear before you pull out.
- Use the drop-off. Riders who need access can meet at the 4 1/2 Alley drop-off on the south side.
Skip this
Leave at the final whistle. You and every other car on 3rd Avenue, bumper to bumper.
First time here?
- Read that week's Know Before You Go. Lot times change by game.
- The West Lot is the biggest tailgate lot.
- Line the Thunder Walk in the West Lot.
- Gates open 2 hours before kickoff. Expect weapons screening.
- Clear bag only, tickets tap to enter, and no re-entry.
- The Joan is cashless. Bring a card.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
Fan Fest on the Rec Center field is free and open to everyone, and the Thunder Walk in the West Lot is the easy place to stand with the crowd. Bring something to share and say hello before you step into a setup.
Free · one page · works offline
Your Joan C. Edwards Stadium game-day sheet, by email
One page for the lot: where to park, when it opens, what you can bring.
We don't sell your email.
