Arizona State Sun Devils · College · Big 12

Tailgating at Mountain America Stadium

Lots open
7 hrs before (pass lots)
Grills
Propane only · no charcoal
Alcohol
Beer and wine only · no kegs

Checked Oct 14, 2026

Mountain America Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on a game day
Photo: Beyond My Ken, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

At a 7 p.m. kickoff in September it can still be 100 degrees, and ASU's tailgate is small and scattered because of it: a few blocks of shade tents northeast of the stadium, held mostly by alumni who show up the minute the lots open. Half the pregame happens somewhere else, on Mill Avenue a few blocks from the gates or at the free air-conditioned pregame by Desert Financial Arena, and the crowd drifts in late. Stay for the part nobody argues about: the sun going down behind the buttes on either side of the stadium as the lights come on.

The lot answer

ASU fans tailgate in the pass lots closest to Mountain America Stadium (Gold, Maroon, Green, Orange, Black, Pink, Copper and Purple, plus the Packard, Stadium and Fulton structures) or in the guest pay lots a short walk out: Novus, Tyler Street, Rural Road, the Gammage Lot and the University Center. North-side lots come in off Rio Salado Parkway, south-side ones off University Drive.

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all tailgating ends
Kickoff
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Rules checked Oct 14, 2026
Sources

Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against thesundevils.com and sundevils.com.

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Can't miss

  1. A Mountain The butte with the gold "A" sits right next to the stadium. Climb it in the morning before the heat sets in.

Quick answers

What time do the ASU lots open?

Pass-holder lots open 7 hours before kickoff, and the guest pay lots open 5.5 hours before. The free Pitchfork Pregame and the Sun Devil tailgate open 3 hours before.

Can you grill at ASU tailgates?

Yes, with propane. ASU allows only propane gas grills in the lots, with no charcoal and no open flames. In the parking structures, grilling is allowed only on the top roof level.

Can you drink at ASU tailgates?

Beer and wine only. No hard liquor, kegs or common sources, no glass in the lots or structures, and no drinking games like beer pong or flip cup.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate at ASU?

Not for the Pitchfork Pregame, which is free and open to all ages. In the lots and garages you tailgate only in your own assigned space, so you need the parking.

How do you buy parking at ASU?

The lots around the stadium take a Sun Devil parking pass, sold to season ticket holders through the Sun Devil Club. Guest pay parking includes the Novus and Tyler Street structures, the Gammage Lot and the University Center.

The game-day timeline

  1. 7 hrs beforePass-holder lots open
  2. 6 hrs beforeTicket customer service opens
  3. 5.5 hrs beforeGuest pay lots open
  4. 3 hrs beforePitchfork Pregame and Sun Devil tailgate open
  5. 2.5 hrs beforeSun Devil Walk on Ellie Ziegler Way
  6. 2 hrs beforeClub and suite gates open; accessible carts start
  7. 90 min beforeAll gates open
  8. 1 hr beforeBand concert south of Desert Financial Arena
  9. KickoffTailgating ends
  10. 1 hr afterTailgate areas cleared

Where to park

The lots closest to the stadium take a Sun Devil parking pass. The guest pay lots are a short walk out.

Pass lots
Gold, Maroon, Green and Orange (reserved), Black, Pink (grass), Copper and Purple, plus the Packard, Stadium and Fulton structures.
Guest pay
Novus Parking Structure, Tyler Street structure, Rural Road structure, the Gammage Lot and the University Center.
RV
The RV lot at the University Center takes a Sun Devil parking pass.
Getting there
North-side lots come in off Rio Salado Parkway; south-side lots and structures off University Drive.
Golf carts
Not allowed around the stadium or in the lots unless ASU approved them for game day.
Accessible
First level of the Packard Structure and the Stadium Structure, with a placard or plate, first come. Carts run to the gates from 2 hours before kickoff.
Mountain America Stadium game-day parking, simplified
Mountain America Stadium game-day parking, simplified
 See the official Mountain America Stadium parking map

Construction near the Maroon Lot changed some routes for 2026. Packard Drive is closed to northbound traffic, and the Maroon Lot is reached from Rio Salado.
Fans with limited mobility and no pass can be dropped off near the South Packard Drive structure and ride the cart service.
No car? Light rail stops just west of the stadium at Veterans Way and College Avenue, and the Tempe Streetcar stops at Marina Heights on the north side. The Orbit circulators are free.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against thesundevils.com and sundevils.com.

ASU's lot rules come down to fuel, glass and your own space.

Your space
Tailgate only in your assigned parking space. Don't block drive lanes or save extra spaces.
Alcohol
Beer and wine only. No hard liquor, kegs, common sources or drinking games, and no glass in the lots.
Grills
Propane gas grills only, no charcoal or open flames. In the parking structures, only on the top roof level.
Generators
They have to meet ASU Fire Marshal rules and sit in an open, well-ventilated spot.
When it ends
Tailgating ends at kickoff, and all areas are cleared within 1 hour after the game.
Not allowed
Unapproved golf carts, drones within 3 nautical miles of the stadium, and tobacco or vaping anywhere on university property.
Bags at the gate
Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a 1-gallon freezer bag, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
Gates open
90 minutes before kickoff. No re-entry once your ticket is scanned.
Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

Know before you go: 2026 season openerSun Devil Football game day guideMountain America Stadium: parking, tailgating and transit2026 Sun Devil Football parking map (PDF)

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

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What we'd bring.

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Shipping and returns

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Where the party is

ASU's pregame runs on two official tailgates beside the stadium, one of them free, and the team walks Ellie Ziegler Way into the southeast entrance 2.5 hours before kickoff.

The open door

The Pitchfork Pregame

Free and family friendly, on the north side of Desert Financial Arena near the stadium's southeast entrance, from 3 hours before kickoff, with indoor and outdoor space and TVs.

The donor tailgate

The Desert Arboretum

Home of the official Sun Devil tailgate on the east side of the stadium, open to Sun Devil Club members at the $2,500 level, from 3 hours out until 30 minutes before kickoff.

The moment

The Sun Devil Walk

The team, Sparky, the spirit squad and the band arrive along Ellie Ziegler Way from Packard Drive to the southeast entrance.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Not cooking? Mill Avenue, downtown Tempe's bar and restaurant strip, is a short walk from the stadium.

Getting out

Tempe has more ways out than most college towns. Your options, best first:

  1. Take the light rail. The Veterans Way and College Avenue station is just west of the stadium. Trains run about every 20 minutes after 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
  2. Ride the streetcar. It stops at Marina Heights on the north side, and the last trip leaves after midnight.
  3. Use your side's road. North lots exit toward Rio Salado and south lots toward University Drive. Stay on your side.

  4. Skip this

    Cut across campus to the other side's road. So will everyone else who parked wrong.

First time here?

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

Line Ellie Ziegler Way for the Sun Devil Walk, 2.5 hours before kickoff.

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