Southern Miss Golden Eagles · College · Sun Belt

Tailgating at M.M. Roberts Stadium

Lots open
Setup: noon the day before
Grills
Yes · small, portable only
Alcohol
Not banned in the lots

Checked Oct 15, 2026

Aerial view of M.M. Roberts Stadium on the Southern Miss campus in Hattiesburg, Mississippi
Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, cropped

Chicken wings went on the grill early at the 2023 Alcorn State game. A player's mother walking the lots that day told WDAM it was electrifying to see all the tents, all the food and the aroma in the air. Before the 2025 Mississippi State game, fans flocked to Spirit Park for a morning tailgate with the band playing. Even the visiting State fans said Southern Miss people had been pretty good to them.

The lot answer

Southern Miss tailgates in the gold lots closest to The Rock, Scianna Hall, Championship Lane, the Lott Center and more, and in Spirit Park; without a pass, the 2026 map marks general public parking and overflow lots across campus. RVs park at Century Park North or the Payne Center from 6 p.m. Friday.

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

day before: tent setup opens
Noon
game-day tailgating ends
Kickoff
max tent size, and no stakes
12 x 20
next day, all gear gone
10 a.m.
Rules checked Oct 15, 2026
Sources

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against southernmiss.com.

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Quick answers

When can you start tailgating at Southern Miss?

Tents and equipment can go up at noon the day before a home game. Tailgate activities run on game day until game time, and everything has to be off campus by 10 a.m. the next morning. RVs can enter their lots at 6 p.m. Friday.

Can you grill at Southern Miss tailgates?

Yes. Small, portable, single-unit propane and charcoal grills are allowed. Keep them away from tents and low branches, don't put hot coals on the ground, and no open fires or pull-behind cookers unless Aramark approves.

Can you drink at Southern Miss tailgates?

Southern Miss says alcohol use must follow state and local law. Drinking games and common sources of alcohol are banned, and glass is banned in Spirit Park, the student tailgate area.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Southern Miss?

Southern Miss doesn't post one. Reserved lots need a game day parking pass, and tents go in designated tailgate areas, first come.

How do you buy parking at Southern Miss?

Reserved lots are Eagle Club parking, assigned by color-coded pass to season ticket holders. Without one, use the general public open parking on the 2026 map and the overflow lots across campus. Tickets and info: 1-800-844-TICK.

The game-day timeline

  1. Day before, noonTent and equipment setup opens. Unloading zones open until 5 p.m.
  2. Day before, 6 PMRVs may enter Lots 13 and 14
  3. Game day, 6 AMThe stadium security perimeter closes to private vehicles
  4. Game day, 7 AMUnloading zones reopen until 5 hours before kickoff
  5. KickoffTailgate activities end
  6. Next day, 10 AMAll tailgate items off campus
  7. Sunday, noonRVs out of the lots

Where to park

Southern Miss sorts reserved Eagle Club parking into 4 color-coded zones. Show your pass at the checkpoint and follow your color's route.

Gold (Zone 1)
Closest lots, including Scianna Hall (2), Championship Lane (3), Lott Center (4, 4A), Thad Cochran Center (12), Century Park North (14), Ray Guy Way/Eagle Walk (15).
Blue (Zone 2)
Payne Center (13), Volleyball West (13W), M.K. Turk Circle/Kay James Dr. (16).
Black and Purple
Bolton (7), East Memorial Dr. (8), Kennard-Washington and others; and Theatre and Dance, Lucas Administration, Liberal Arts and International Center.
No pass
General public open parking on the 2026 map, plus overflow and student lots across campus.
RV
Century Park North (14) and Payne Center (13). In from 6 p.m. Friday, hang tag displayed, out by noon Sunday.
Accessible
ADA shuttle and golf cart shuttle service run for fans who need accessible transportation.
M.M. Roberts Stadium game-day parking, simplified
M.M. Roberts Stadium game-day parking, simplified
See the official M.M. Roberts Stadium parking map

Championship Drive can't be reached from 4th Street before kickoff. Enter it from Highway 49.
Eagle Walk is closed to cars and golf carts from Gate 6 to Gate 9. No driving or parking on the grass anywhere.
Unloading only? Use the zones at the Thad Cochran Center Lot (12), East Memorial Drive from Hardy Street, or Ray Guy Way at the roundabout. Friday from noon to 5 p.m., game day from 7 a.m. until 5 hours before kickoff. Don't leave the car.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against southernmiss.com.

Southern Miss has a full written policy. These are the rules that change your setup.

Grills
Small, portable propane or charcoal grills, away from tents and branches. No coals on the ground, no open fires, no pull-behind cookers without Aramark approval.
Tents
Designated tailgate areas only, first come, up to 12 x 20 feet. No stakes: use water ballasts or blocks.
Alcohol
State and local law apply. No drinking games, no common sources. No glass in Spirit Park.
Power
Light pole outlets on campus are OK. No building outlets, and no cords across streets or sidewalks.
Generators
Run them and propane heaters outside the tent, with fuel stored apart.
Sound
Only university-sponsored amplified music, DJs and bands. Keep tent music at a reasonable volume.
Not allowed
Pets in tailgate areas, tobacco and vaping anywhere on campus, your own portable toilets, and driving on grass.
When it ends
At game time. Everything off campus by 10 a.m. the next day.
Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Pack for Hattiesburg

What we'd bring.

More for this lot

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

  • Daylodge Workspace Camp Kitchen, Fold-Out Table$239

Early-season Hattiesburg is hot and humid. Pack water, shade and extra ice.

Shipping and returns

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

Where the party is

Southern Miss turns tailgating into a 2-day event: tents go up Friday at noon, and the gold lots and Spirit Park fill around The Rock by Saturday. Plug into a light pole, keep the coals off the ground and the stakes out of the dirt.

The student hub

Spirit Park

The designated student tailgate area, just northwest of the stadium. It opens at noon the day before a game, student group tents register with the Dean of Students, and glass is banned.

The RV row

Century Park North (Lot 14)

A gold-zone lot across West 4th Street that takes cars and RVs, with RVs rolling in from 6 p.m. Friday. Pass only.

The open ground

General public parking

The open lots marked green on the 2026 map, on the west side of campus.

What to eat

Propane and charcoal are both fine, so cook what you like on a small grill and dump the ashes properly, never on the ground. Food sales are banned unless Aramark approves.

Getting out

After the game, police and barricades steer every lot to 4th Street or Hardy Street. Your options, best first:

  1. Follow your lot's highlighted route. The 2026 map marks the exit for each lot. Officers pick the fastest road.
  2. Hang back at the tent. Your gear can stay until 10 a.m. the next day. Let 4th and Hardy clear.
  3. Use the golf cart shuttle. Fans who need help getting to their car can ask the parking attendant to call one.
  4. Skip this

    Floor it toward Highway 49. So will everyone else in the gold zone.

First time here?

  • Tents go up at noon the day before. Bring weights, not stakes.
  • Propane or charcoal grills, small and portable. No coals on the ground.
  • Tailgating ends at game time.
  • Enter Championship Drive from Highway 49, not 4th Street.
  • No pets in tailgate areas, and campus is tobacco-free.
  • Pack everything out by 10 a.m. the next morning.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

The general public lots on the 2026 map are open to everyone, and campus fills up from Friday afternoon. Bring something to share and say hello before you step into a setup.

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