Can't miss
- Howard's Rock and the Hill The players rub Howard's Rock, then run down the hill into the stadium as the cannon fires. Watch it from the east end.
- Clemson Blue Cheese The '55 Exchange in the Hendrix Student Center sells the blue cheese the university has made since 1941, and ice cream from the original Clemson formula.
Quick answers
What time do the Clemson lots open?
6 a.m. for kickoffs before 3:30 p.m., and 8 a.m. for kickoffs at 3:30 p.m. or later. Reserved lots need a placard, and towing starts at midnight the night before.
Can you grill at Clemson tailgates?
IPTAY's lot rules allow cookers, as long as they stay inside your parking space with your trailer and tent. We couldn't find a published rule on charcoal or open flames.
Can you drink at Clemson tailgates?
We couldn't find a published Clemson rule on alcohol in the lots. Inside the stadium, alcohol is sold to fans 21 and over with ID, 2 drinks per transaction, until the end of the third quarter, and no outside alcohol goes in.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate?
Clemson's lot rules don't say. What you do need is parking: reserved lots take an IPTAY placard or digital pass, and Seneca Creek Meadow is free and open to everyone.
How do you buy parking?
Season lots go to IPTAY donors by giving level and priority points. Single-game parking in the R-10 Douthit Hills lot is sold on Ticketmaster, and the city's Keith Street and Fendley Street garages are first come, first served. The university isn't selling general admission passes for 2026.
The game-day timeline
- MidnightThe night before: towing starts in reserved lots
- 6 or 8 AMLots open: 6 a.m. for kickoffs before 3:30 p.m., 8 a.m. for later ones
- 4 hrs outRoad closures start, and golf cart shuttles begin running through the athletic district
- 3 hrs outThe main ticket office and the IPTAY Center by Gate 9 open, and the accessible shuttle from the Sikes lot starts
- 2 hrs 5 minTiger Walk through Lot 5, the Rogers Family Lot
- 2 hrs outGates open, and concessions and alcohol sales start
- After the gameAfter the alma mater, fans can join the team on the field from the Hill or the west ramps
Where to park
Most of the lots around Death Valley belong to IPTAY donors. If you don't have a placard, you still have options.
- IPTAY lots
- Season placards by giving level and priority points. Some passes are digital this year, in your Ticketmaster account.
- R-10 Douthit
- Single-game IPTAY lot, about 250 spots at Old Greenville Hwy and Newman Rd. Sold on Ticketmaster.
- Free lots
- Seneca Creek Meadow, with a shuttle to Doug Kingsmore Stadium, and Lower Kite Hill, a gravel lot off Newman Rd across from Lot 16.
- City garages
- Keith St and Fendley St, about 220 spaces, first come, first served. Cars out by 4 a.m.
- RVs
- The Motor Home lot, west of the stadium, is an IPTAY donor lot.
- Accessible
- Enter off Hwy 93 on Calhoun Dr, near Tillman and Sikes Halls. A state hangtag gets you into the Sikes lot, with a shuttle to Gate 1 from 3 hours before until 90 minutes after.
Road closures start 4 hours before kickoff. Pregame, Walter T. Cox Blvd runs one way toward Centennial Blvd, and you pick your lane by where you're parking.
Golf cart shuttles run through the athletic district from 4 hours out. Look for the tall white and blue poles.
No car? CATBus runs its Red Route on game days, stopping on Cherry Rd and Bryan Circle. The free Seneca Creek Meadow shuttle runs from when the lots open until 2 hours after the game.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 29, 2026 against clemsontigers.com, iptaycuad.com, clemson.edu, Saturday Down South (Sept. 29, 2024) and The Tiger (May 21, 2026).
IPTAY's lot rules are mostly about space. Here's what they say.
- Your space
- One placard, one 9 x 23-foot space. Trailers, cookers and tents stay inside it, behind your vehicle, and drive aisles stay clear.
- Saving spots
- Not allowed. Park where the attendants direct you.
- Grills
- Cookers are allowed inside your space.
- Generators
- Allowed if rated 70 dB or lower.
- Sound
- No bands, big speakers or PA systems that bother the people around you.
- Not allowed
- Soliciting or selling. Ad banners, product sampling and outside caterers need approval first. No golf carts without credentials.
- Alcohol
- No lot rule we could find. Inside: 21 and over, ID, 2 per transaction, and sales end after the third quarter.
- Bags at the gate
- Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a 1-gallon freezer bag, plus a clutch about 4.5 x 6.5 inches. No coolers, backpacks or umbrellas.
- Gates open
- 2 hours before kickoff. Re-entry takes a voucher from the gate plus your mobile ticket.
Before you go
Clemson football game day guideIPTAY parking and tailgating policies2026 single-game parking options2026 IPTAY parking mapPostgame traffic flow (PDF)Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Clemson
What we'd bring.
-
Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45
Ships free
-
55 qt Hard Cooler, 60 Cans
$299
Ships free
One cooler for the whole crew parked at the car: about 60 cans on ice.
More for this lot
-
Daylodge Workspace Camp Kitchen, Fold-Out Table$239
-
Scorezit Cornhole Scorekeeper Set$140 · +$15 shipping
Where the party is
Clemson's lots open at 6 a.m. for an early game, and every placard is a 9 x 23-foot box. Fill yours well, then go walk everybody else's.
The walk-in
Lot 5, the Rogers Family Lot
Tiger Walk starts here 2 hours and 5 minutes before kickoff.
No placard
Seneca Creek Meadow
The free public lot, across the lake. A shuttle runs to Doug Kingsmore Stadium from when the lots open until 2 hours after the game.
The new one
The Stacks
Clemson Athletic Ventures' ticketed tailgate area for 2026, behind the Swann Fitness Center near Scroll of Honor Memorial Park. Single-game packages are sold through REVELXP.
What to eat
Cook thisWhat to cook at a tailgate (that survives the lot)Getting out
Clemson flips its roads one way for 2 hours after the game. Pick your exit before the fourth quarter:
- Follow the one-ways. Perimeter Rd runs one way from Lot 6 toward US 76, Walter T. Cox Blvd from Centennial toward US 76, and Hwy 93 one way out past the lake.
- Ride the shuttle back. Parked at Seneca Creek Meadow? The shuttle runs until 2 hours after the game.
- Go down on the field. After the alma mater, fans can join the team on the field from the Hill or the west ramps. The roads won't miss you.
Skip this
Sit on Perimeter Rd. The traffic plan runs 2 hours or until things clear. Your tailgate is a better place to spend that time.
First time here?
- Be along Lot 5 for Tiger Walk, about 2 hours before kickoff.
- The Tiger Band plays a mini concert about 90 minutes before kickoff, the student paper The Tiger noted in May 2026.
- Dress is flexible. The student paper's 2026 guide lists polos and khakis, summer dresses or rompers.
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