Can't miss
- Touchdown Jesus The Word of Life mural on the library rises over the north end zone, arms up. You'll see why they call it that.
- The band steps off Before every home game, the band plays on the Bond Hall steps 90 minutes out, then steps off from the Main Building 45 minutes before kickoff and marches to the stadium. The crowd on the steps and the lawn is part of the show.
- The Grotto Candles burning in a stone grotto by the lake. Walk down the night before or the morning of; it's the quietest place on campus on game day.
Quick answers
What time do the Notre Dame Stadium lots open?
8 a.m. for every home game, whatever the kickoff time; Notre Dame's tailgating page says its gates open at 8:00 a.m. on all football home games regardless of kickoff. Zipper parking can start at 8:30 a.m. or earlier. All lots close 3 hours after the game, except Burke Golf Course, which closes after 2.
Can you grill at Notre Dame Stadium?
Yes, propane only, and the tank has to be under 20 lbs. Charcoal grills, fire pits, open flames, propane heaters and deep fryers are all banned.
Can you drink at Notre Dame tailgates?
Notre Dame's tailgating rules ban kegs, excessive amounts of alcohol, drinking games and large parties. Outside alcohol can't go into the stadium. Inside, beer, wine and seltzer are sold to fans 21 and over, 2 per ID, until the end of the third quarter.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate?
No ticket rule is posted for the lots. Tailgating is allowed in all game-day fan lots, and you don't even need a car: a pass covers one space, and you can hold more than one.
How do you buy parking?
Drive-up lots (Blue, Gold, Burke Golf Course, Saint Mary's and Holy Cross College) take cards on site, and some can be bought ahead on ParkMobile. Reserved lots like Stadium and Joyce need a pass bought ahead. Passes are mobile, and pay lots are cashless.
The game-day timeline
- Fri 11:59 PMMidnight Drummers' Circle at the Main Building
- 8 AMAll lots open, whatever the kickoff time
- 3 hrs beforeNotre Dame Glee Club performance
- 2.5 hrs beforeThe Player Walk leaves the Basilica of the Sacred Heart
- 90 min beforeGates open; band concert on the Bond Hall steps
- 45 min beforeThe band steps off from the Main Building for the stadium
- 3 hrs afterLots close (Burke Golf Course: 2 hrs)
Where to park
Every lot opens at 8 a.m. Decide between a reserved pass close in and a drive-up lot on the edge of campus.
- Stadium and Joyce
- Reserved lots right by the stadium (Stadium, Joyce, Stadium Reserved, Stayer Reserved). Pass bought ahead. Not guaranteed inside 90 minutes of kickoff.
- Blue and Gold
- Drive-up lots north of campus off Douglas Rd, paid by card. Free shuttles to Hesburgh Library from 8 a.m.
- Burke Golf Course
- Drive-up, on the west side of campus, with entrances off Dorr Rd and Angela Blvd. Closes 2 hours after the game.
- RV and buses
- Saint Mary's and Holy Cross College lots, off SR 933. Anything over 7.5 feet wide or 20 feet long has to park in an RV or bus lot.
- Accessible
- The Bulla Lot on Bulla Rd with a state placard or plate, plus a free shuttle to Joyce Center Gate 4. ADA spaces in the Joyce and Stadium lots need a placard and a university pass.
Use Waze. Notre Dame programs its pregame traffic pattern into it, lot by lot.
After 9 a.m., lots fill in arrival order. Follow the attendants, and don't try to hold a space for anyone.
Visit South Bend priced the general lots at $40 to $50 per vehicle in June 2026, with free shuttles from some of them. Reserved passes usually aren't released to the public; they turn up on resale sites like SeatGeek and StubHub.
No car? South Bend Transpo's free Game Day Express runs between downtown hotels and McKenna Hall for 3 hours before the game and 2 hours after. Rideshare drops off at Compton Family Ice Arena, the Rugby Lot or the Lake Lot.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 29, 2026 against fightingirish.com, Visit South Bend Mishawaka (June 16, 2026) and Sports Illustrated (Aug. 23, 2018).
Notre Dame publishes one of the longest tailgating rulebooks around. These are the ones that shape your setup.
- Grills
- Propane only, tanks under 20 lbs. No charcoal, fire pits, open flames, propane heaters or deep fryers.
- Tents
- 10 x 10 feet or smaller, no stakes, nothing past the hash marks into the driving lanes. Down when winds hit 31 mph sustained or gusts top 45.
- Alcohol
- No kegs, no excessive amounts, no drinking games, no large parties. None from outside into the stadium.
- Your space
- One pass, one space, vehicle and tailgate together. No holding spaces for anyone.
- Not allowed
- Amplified or stand-alone speakers, golf carts and custom motorized vehicles, drones, box trucks and trailers.
- When it ends
- No tailgating during the game. Lots close 3 hours after it (Burke: 2). No overnight parking.
- Trash
- Clear bag for recycling, black bag for trash. Leave both behind your vehicle before kickoff, clear bag untied.
- Bags at the gate
- Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a 1-gallon clear bag, or a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Metal detectors at every gate. No re-entry.
- Gates open
- 90 minutes before kickoff.
Before you go
Notre Dame tailgating rulesGetting around: parking and shuttlesNotre Dame Stadium info and policies2026 gameday parking map (PDF)Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Notre Dame
What we'd bring.
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Opener & Shotgun Tool
$7.99
Free over $50 (our gear)
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Dubler HEAT Chafer and Cooler
$198.89
Ships free
Late-season cold keeps the drinks cold on its own. Heat packs keep covered food hot up to 5 hours (per the maker).
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Dubler Heat Packs, 2 Pack
$43.88
Ships free
More for this lot
-
Monument G22 Tabletop Gas Grill, 2 Burners$199 · Ships free
Late-season games in northern Indiana get cold and windy. Layers, and weights for the tent. A 1970 Notre Dame graduate told Sports Illustrated in 2018 that casual clothes and team gear are by far the most common, and joked that anyone in a sport coat and tie must be from the Development Office.
Where the party is
Visit South Bend ranked the reserved lots in June 2026: the Stadium Lot is the closest, and its party runs longest; the Joyce Lot next to it is one of the most popular and always has a good atmosphere; and the North Lot is generally a bit more peaceful, a good option for families, as is the Bookstore Lot near the Eck Visitors Center. Those reserved lots are usually sold out and mostly turn up on resale. Tailgating is allowed in every game-day fan lot, up to the grass at Burke. And the campus runs its own pregame on top of it: the Glee Club, the Player Walk, the band on the Bond Hall steps.
Closest to the gates
The Stadium and Joyce lots
Reserved lots just south and southeast of the stadium, for pass holders.
On the grass
Burke Golf Course
The drive-up lot on the west side of campus. It closes 2 hours after the game, an hour before the rest.
The walk
The Player Walk
The team leaves the Basilica of the Sacred Heart about 2.5 hours before kickoff, with the band playing along the route and the bagpipe band leading them into the stadium.
What to eat
Plan the menu around the rules: propane, no fryers, no open flame, and nothing that needs a keg. Campus dining outlets are cashless, like the stadium.
Cook thisWhat to cook at a tailgate (that survives the lot)Getting out
Every lot empties at the same time, and the lot clock is already running. Your options, best first:
- Ride the shuttle back. Blue and Gold lot shuttles run at least 2 hours after the game, until the lines are gone.
- Take the Game Day Express. Free, from McKenna Hall back downtown for 2 hours after the game.
- Rideshare from the right corner. Post-game pick-up is at the Dorr Rd lot, the Ivy Rd and Bulla Rd area, or Vaness St.
Skip this
Fight the traffic at the final whistle. Lots stay open 3 hours after the game (2 at Burke). Tailgate it out and let everyone else go first.
First time here?
- Lots open at 8 a.m., no matter when kickoff is.
- Propane only, and the tank has to be under 20 lbs. Leave the fryer at home.
- Tent: 10 x 10 or smaller, and no stakes.
- One pass, one space. No saving spots for friends.
- Clear bag, 12 x 6 x 12 inches max. Metal detectors at every gate, no re-entry.
- Bag your recycling and trash, and leave both behind the car before kickoff.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
The Player Walk and the band's step-off are open to everyone, so build the pregame around them. Wear your colors, bring something to share and keep it friendly. A 1970 Notre Dame graduate who hosts a family tailgate told Sports Illustrated in 2018 that you don't have to be a Notre Dame fan, because all are welcome, and that guests often bring beer or wine, chips, a dessert or a sandwich platter.
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