Washington State Cougars · College · Pac-12

Tailgating at Martin Stadium

Aerial view of Gesa Field at Martin Stadium on the Washington State campus in Pullman
Photo: Spicypepper999, CC0, cropped

At a 2025 homecoming tailgate in the prime RV lot, one couple's menu ran to a hashbrown omelet, steak tacos and four cases of beer. RV spots go by donor seniority, so you work your way up over the years, and one regular told the Spokesman-Review in 2018 that the lots are "like mini-communities." Every Friday night the marching band comes through the RV lots, and on game day the cheer squad and Butch walk through about five hours before kickoff, according to that 2018 report.

The lot answer

Cougar tailgates spread across campus lots: general parking, mostly off Spokane St on the west side, bought day of in the AMP Park app, first come; donor lots P, AA, A and B and the Reserved Garage by permit; and the RV regions to the north, where the team walks right through RV1 before the game.

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Stadium Way closes, buses run
3 hrs
Cougar Prowl, before kickoff
2h 40m
charcoal banned for now
Propane
Cougville closes for the day
Kickoff
Get the Pregame for the CougarsEmail me Or get the one-page game-day sheet
Rules checked Oct 14, 2026
Sources

Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against wsucougars.com, transportation.wsu.edu, oem.wsu.edu and pullman-wa.gov.

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Can't miss

  1. Ferdinand's for Cougar Gold The WSU Creamery's shop sits on Ferdinand's Lane right by the RV lots. Buy a can of Cougar Gold to take home; it's the Pullman souvenir.
  2. The Coug the night before The Cougar Cottage on College Hill, "The Coug," is the best-known WSU bar in town, and the night-before stop.

Quick answers

What time do the Martin Stadium lots open?

WSU doesn't post one opening time for the general lots. The day runs on the kickoff clock: Stadium Way closes and the Park & Ride buses start 3 hours before, and gates open 2 hours before. RVs can enter their lots after 6 p.m. Thursday.

Can you grill at Martin Stadium?

Propane, yes. Charcoal, not right now. WSU's current game-day burn ban allows propane barbecues, pellet grills and electric or pellet smokers, and bans charcoal grills and wood fires.

Can you drink at WSU tailgates?

Not in public. Pullman's open-container law covers streets, sidewalks and public places, and WSU's lot rules cite it. Beer and wine are sold at Kickoff at the CUB, the Cougville beer garden (21 and over) and inside the stadium through the third quarter.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate?

WSU posts no ticket rule for the parking lots, and Kickoff at the CUB is open to everyone. Cougville on Rogers Field is part of the stadium's ticketed footprint, so it takes a game ticket, and once you leave it you can't come back in.

How do you buy parking?

General parking (GP) is bought on game day in the AMP Park app or at aimsmobilepay.com, first come, first served. The lettered lots and RV spots are season permits through the Cougar Athletic Fund.

The game-day timeline

  1. Thu 6 PMRVs can enter their lots
  2. Fri 6 PMRVs can enter again after the shared-use day
  3. 3 hrs beforeStadium Way closes; Park & Ride buses and Kickoff at the CUB start
  4. 2 hrs 40 min beforeThe Cougar Prowl leaves the Taylor Sports Complex
  5. 2 hrs beforeGates and Cougville open; donor-lot van shuttles start
  6. KickoffCougville closes and doesn't reopen

Where to park

Most of the close-in lots are donor season permits. Everyone else parks GP or rides the bus.

General (GP)
Bought day of in the AMP Park app or at aimsmobilepay.com. Most GP lots are off Spokane St on the west side of campus. First come, first served.
Donor lots
The Reserved Garage and lots P, AA, A and B are season permits through the Cougar Athletic Fund. Van shuttles run to them from 2 hours before kickoff.
RV
Regions 1 to 6, season permits through the Cougar Athletic Fund for season ticket holders. Self-contained RVs only, no hookups. In after 6 p.m. Thursday.
Accessible
The Fine Arts Garage, with a GP or donor permit plus a state placard or plate. An ADA shuttle runs between Flag Lane and Gate B.
Park & Ride
Pullman Transit's free Cougar Express 1 to 4, from 3 hours before kickoff. Every route drops off and picks up at Flag Lane.
Gesa Field at Martin Stadium game-day parking, simplified
Gesa Field at Martin Stadium game-day parking, simplified
 See the official Martin Stadium parking map

No spaces can be saved anywhere on the 2026 parking map. First come really means first come.
Stadium Way closes from Grimes Way north to Orchard Dr and Cougar Way 3 hours before kickoff, and stays closed up to 2 hours after. Route around it.
No car? Pullman Transit's Cougar Express buses run from stops around town to Flag Lane, starting 3 hours before kickoff and running until about 1.5 hours after the game. No open containers on board.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against wsucougars.com, transportation.wsu.edu, oem.wsu.edu and pullman-wa.gov.

WSU's rules come from three places: the athletics department, the campus burn ban and Pullman city code.

Grills
Propane barbecues, pellet grills and electric or pellet smokers. No charcoal and no wood fires while the game-day burn ban is in effect.
Alcohol
Open containers are illegal in public places in Pullman (city code 5.55.010), and WSU's lot rules cite it. Drink at the CUB, the Cougville beer garden or inside.
Your space
First come, first served, and no saving spaces. RV awnings, chairs and tables stay inside the marked space.
Overnight
Self-contained RVs only, in RV lots, with no hookups or dump stations. No tent camping anywhere on campus.
Who's allowed
Cougville takes a game ticket. Kickoff at the CUB doesn't.
Not allowed
Nicotine of any kind, anywhere on campus. Drones in or around Gesa Field.
When it ends
Cougville closes at kickoff. Stadium beer and wine sales stop at the end of the third quarter.
Bags at the gate
Clear, up to 14 x 8 x 14 inches, a 1-gallon clear bag, or a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. No re-entry once you scan in.
Gates open
2 hours before kickoff.
Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

WSU football A-Z gameday guide2026 alcohol pilot program FAQ2026 parking designations mapPullman Transit football serviceWSU burn ban notices

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

Pack for Pullman

What we'd bring.

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  • Monument G22 Tabletop Gas Grill, 2 Burners$199 · Ships free

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Shipping and returns

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

Where the party is

Pullman doesn't do one big lot. The RVs settle into the north lots Thursday night, the team walks right through RV1 before the game, and Rogers Field turns into Cougville 2 hours out.

The parade

The Cougar Prowl

The team walks from the Taylor Sports Complex through the RV1 lot, past the Cougar Pride statue and into the northeast entrance, 2 hours 40 minutes before kickoff. Fans line the route.

The official pregame

Cougville on Rogers Field

A beer garden for 21 and over and a kids zone with inflatables, right next to the stadium. Opens 2 hours before kickoff, closes at kickoff, game ticket required.

No ticket needed

Kickoff at the CUB

The CUB Senior Ballroom opens 3 hours before kickoff with beer, wine and cocktails for sale, games on the screens and a visit from the Cougar Marching Band.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Cook thisCougar Gold mac and cheese

Getting out

Every car in Pullman wants the same two highways at the same time. Your options, best first:

  1. Ride the bus back. The Cougar Express routes pick up at Flag Lane and run until about 1.5 hours after the game.
  2. Heading to Spokane? Take Hwy 27. WSU suggests Grand Ave (Hwy 27) north to skip the backups on Davis Way and Hwy 195 toward Colfax.
  3. Use the back doors. Bishop Blvd bypasses downtown. Old Wawawai Rd, off Main St, gets you to Hwy 195 without Grand Ave or Davis Way.

  4. Skip this

    Bolt for Stadium Way. It stays closed up to 2 hours after the game. Sit tight.

First time here?

  • Open containers in public are illegal in Pullman. Drink at the CUB, Cougville or inside.
  • Be on the Prowl route 2 hours 40 minutes before kickoff.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

Kickoff at the CUB is the easy front door: no ticket needed, open to everyone 3 hours before kickoff.

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