Nebraska Cornhuskers · College · Big Ten

Tailgating at Memorial Stadium

The west face of Memorial Stadium in Lincoln at sunset
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY 2.0, cropped

Walk up to a Husker tailgate and say hello, and you're likely to be welcomed; if one lot doesn't work out, try another side of the stadium. That's the advice of a fan writer who grew up going to games in Lincoln, who says Nebraska fans are known for being "overly generous and friendly to opposing fans." The Cornhusker Marching Band plays a free Pregame Spectacular five hours before kickoff, and about two and a half hours out the team comes through a tunnel of fans in the Unity Walk at Gate 20. A Runza, beef, cabbage and onions baked in bread, is the pregame meal, and the writer calls it a bucket-list item for anyone not from Nebraska.

The lot answer

Most of the numbered lots near Memorial Stadium, Haymarket Park included, belong to Huskers Athletic Fund donors. Public parking is the UNL garages at 14th & Avery, 19th & Vine and 17th & R and the east campus lots, card only, and UNL sells campus event parking ahead on ParkMobile. Plan to stay in once you're through the gate: since 2025, leaving the stadium voids your ticket.

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lots open, day games
6 AM
lots open, night games
11 AM
heaters only, no open flames
Electric
tents weighted, not staked
Weights
Get the Pregame for the CornhuskersEmail me Or get the one-page game-day sheet
Rules checked Oct 14, 2026
Sources

Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against huskers.com and parking.unl.edu.

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Can't miss

  1. The Tunnel Walk The team comes out of the tunnel to "Sirius" while the whole stadium stands in red. It's the loudest few minutes of the day.
  2. Sellouts since 1962 Nebraska has sold out every home game since 1962, the longest streak in college football. You're part of it.
  3. A Runza Nebraska's own sandwich, beef and cabbage baked inside bread. Every Husker fan has one before the game.

Quick answers

What time do the Memorial Stadium lots open?

6 a.m. for kickoffs before 6 p.m., and 11 a.m. for kickoffs at 6 p.m. or later. The Haymarket Park lots (19, 20 and 21) open at 6 a.m. for 11 a.m. kickoffs and 8 a.m. for everything else.

Can you grill at Nebraska tailgates?

Not in a garage: grilling from any heat source is banned in and on top of every university parking garage. Open flames such as fire pits are banned on university property.

Can you drink at Nebraska tailgates?

UNL's parking office points to state law (Nebraska Statute 53-186), which bars drinking alcohol on state property. Intoxication can also get you turned away at the gate. Inside, alcohol is sold with ID, 2 per transaction.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate?

Tailgating is tied to a parking permit: one stall per permit, with your setup directly in front of or behind your stall. The Cornhusker Kickoff fan fest doesn't require a game ticket.

How do you buy parking?

The numbered lots around the stadium go to Huskers Athletic Fund donors. Public game-day parking is in UNL garages and east campus lots, credit or debit only, and can be reserved ahead through ParkMobile.

Where to park

Know which kind of spot you have before you drive in: the lots ringing the stadium are for donors, and the public parks in campus garages and lots.

Donor lots
The numbered lots, Haymarket Park included, go to Huskers Athletic Fund donors. Lots 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 12, 23, 24 and 26 have reserved stalls.
Public
UNL garages (14th & Avery, 19th & Vine, 17th & R) and east campus lots. Credit or debit only, open 6 hours before kickoff.
Reserve ahead
UNL Parking and Transit Services sells campus event parking in advance through ParkMobile.
RV
Lot 11 RV is presold to donors by the season. Other options: Haymarket Park, or first come, first served by the Devaney Sports Center off 14th and Military Rd.
Accessible
The 14th & Avery garage (Lot 9) is the main option, first come, with golf carts to the stadium. Free disabled parking at the 14th and Vine meters.
Drop-off
The bus cutout northwest of the stadium, off eastbound Salt Creek Roadway.
Closes early
Lots 4 and 6 close 90 minutes before kickoff and stay closed until postgame traffic clears.
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln) game-day parking, simplified
Memorial Stadium (Lincoln) game-day parking, simplified
 See the official Memorial Stadium parking map

Stadium Drive closes to traffic at 6 a.m. on game day.
Nebraska and the City of Lincoln post live traffic changes in Waze, and stadium construction can shift some walking paths, parking and gates this season.
No car? iPronto runs game-day shuttles from four Lincoln locations, by reservation only.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against huskers.com and parking.unl.edu.

Nebraska's rules are short, but the flame and alcohol lines are firm.

Grills
No grilling from any heat source in or on top of university garages. Fire pits and other open flames are banned on university property.
Heat
Plug-in electric heaters are the allowed alternative to open flames.
Alcohol
State law (Neb. Stat. 53-186) bars drinking on state property. Intoxication can get you denied at the gate.
Tents
Weighted, not staked. There are utility and sprinkler lines underground.
Your space
One stall per permit, and trailers need their own. Set up in front of or behind your stall, and no saving spaces.
Not allowed
Bringing your own portable toilets (use the ones provided), unauthorized overnight parking, blocking drives.
No smoking
The campus is smoke, tobacco and vape free.
Bags at the gate
Clear tote, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches.
Gates open
90 minutes before kickoff. No re-entry.
Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

Football game day information2026 Husker football game day informationFootball parking and tailgating policiesUNL athletic events parkingClear bag policy

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

Pack for Lincoln

What we'd bring.

More for this lot

Early-season games can be hot, and late-season games in Lincoln get cold. Check the forecast and pack layers.

Shipping and returns

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

Where the party is

Lincoln's game day starts early and stays close to the stadium: the lots open at 6 a.m. for day games, the free fan fest opens 4 hours out, and the team walks in from 14th and Vine a little over 2 hours before kickoff.

The official pregame

Cornhusker Kickoff

Inside the Hawks Championship Center, just outside the stadium gates. Free, no game ticket needed, open from 4 hours before kickoff until the game starts. Capacity is limited.

The team arrival

Husker Legacy Walk

About 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff, the team unloads at 14th and Vine and walks past the Coliseum into the Osborne Legacy Complex.

Under the interstate

Lot 7

A donor lot that sits under I-180, just west of the stadium.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Nebraska Athletics calls Runza, Valentino's Pizza and Fairbury red hot dogs the traditional local favorites inside the stadium. In the lots, plan the menu around the flame rules.

Cook thisWhat to cook at a tailgate (that survives the lot)

Getting out

There's no beating everyone out of Lincoln, but there are smarter ways to try:

  1. Follow the posted routes. Nebraska publishes postgame driving routes, and the city pushes live changes through Waze. Load it before you leave your spot.
  2. Take the shuttle you booked. iPronto runs game-day shuttles from four Lincoln locations, by reservation only.
  3. Let the first wave go. Pack up slow and let the garages and lots thin out before you pull into traffic.

  4. Skip this

    Pull out the second the clock hits zero. So will everyone else.

First time here?

  • Download your tickets and parking to the Huskers App before you leave.
  • Memorial Stadium is cashless, with no ATMs in or around it.
  • Clear bag only, 12 x 6 x 12 inches. No re-entry once you're in.
  • Bring weights for the tent. Stakes are out.
  • Heat comes from plug-in electric heaters, not fire pits.
  • Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff, and the band marches to the stadium 45 minutes out.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

Start at the Cornhusker Kickoff, which is free and needs no game ticket. Wear your colors, bring something to share and keep the trash talk friendly.

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