Ohio Bobcats · College · MAC

Tailgating at Peden Stadium

Peden Stadium in Athens during a 2018 game, seen from the stands with the green hills behind
Photo: Dan Keck, CC0, cropped

Students and longtime Ohio fans skip the lots and stay put at the dozens of bars along Court Street, because heavy restrictions keep the tailgate small. A visiting writer called it "nearly nonexistent" after the 2025 opener. Bobcat Boulevard has food trucks, and across from Peden, TailGreat Park, which takes a pass, has inflatable games, cornhole and a visit from the Marching 110 before each game. In the stands the student section answers "O-U" with "OH YEAH," fans spell O-H-I-O during "Stand Up and Cheer," and nobody moves at halftime. The writer called the Marching 110 "elite," with "flamboyant dance moves and quick cuts," and says to stay for its postgame concert.

The lot answer

Ohio tailgates in the donor lots and Tailgreat Park, the all-grass lot along the Hocking River across from Peden and the Convocation Center, both by pass, and first come on game day in the perimeter lots on West, South and East Green, with shuttles to Peden. RVs go to the Yellow Lot with a permit, or to the Athens County Fairgrounds, about a 20-minute walk.

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lots opened for Homecoming
7 a.m.
tailgate beside your space
Grass
charcoal grills banned
No coal
winds: tents come down
20 mph
Get the Pregame for the BobcatsEmail me Or get the one-page game-day sheet
Rules checked Oct 15, 2026
Sources

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against ohio.edu and ohiobobcats.com.

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Can't miss

  1. Court Street Athens's main drag runs along the edge of campus, brick-paved and lined with bars, and on a game weekend it's where the town ends up after the final whistle.

Quick answers

What time do the Ohio lots open?

Ohio University posts it game by game. For the Oct. 10, 2026 Homecoming game, the football lots opened at 7 a.m. For the Sept. 12 opener, the posted times were 7 a.m. for some lots and 10 a.m. for others. No overnight parking.

Can you grill at Ohio tailgates?

Not with charcoal. Ohio University bans charcoal grills at football tailgates. A propane rule isn't spelled out, so ask the parking office if you plan to bring one.

Can you drink at Ohio tailgates?

Ohio University reminds fans that alcohol falls under Ohio law and City of Athens rules, including the ban on open containers of beer or liquor in public spaces, and officers enforce it.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Ohio?

Ohio doesn't post a ticket rule for the lots. Donor and Tailgreat lots need a pass, and Tailgreat season passes are for season ticket holders. You need a ticket for Peden.

How do you buy parking at Ohio?

Buy ahead online and have it on your phone or printed. No cash. Game day parking in the perimeter lots is first come, first served, with shuttles to Peden.

The game-day timeline

  1. 7 a.m.Football lots opened for Homecoming 2026 (times are posted per game)
  2. Before kickoffShuttles start from the perimeter game day lots (time posted per game)
  3. 1 hr afterShuttles stop running

Where to park

Donor lots ring the stadium and the Convocation Center. Everyone else parks on the campus edge and rides the shuttle.

Donor lots
Green and Green VIP, Orange and Orange VIP, Yellow and Blue, by pass only. Passes go by Ohio Bobcat Club giving level.
Tailgreat Park
The all-grass lot along the Hocking River, across from Peden and the Convocation Center. Pass only.
Game day
Perimeter lots on West, South and East Green, first come, first served, with shuttles to Peden. No cash.
RV
Yellow Lot with an RV permit only. Otherwise the Athens County Fairgrounds, about a 20-minute walk.
Accessible
The 2026 map marks accessible parking at the Convocation Center and in the Green Lot.
Rules
One space per vehicle, no saving spaces, and cars left overnight get towed.
Peden Stadium game-day parking, simplified
Peden Stadium game-day parking, simplified
 See the official Peden Stadium parking map

Most routes take SR 682 North to the traffic circle, then Richland Ave across the Hocking River. Follow the signs for your lot color.
Construction in 2026 can slow you down: the SR 682 and SR 56 roundabout, utility work near Carpenter St and U.S. 33 widening near Pomeroy.
No car? Shuttles run from the perimeter game day lots to Peden, starting before kickoff and running until 1 hour after the game.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against ohio.edu and ohiobobcats.com.

Ohio's rules are specific and printed in every game day parking post. These are the ones that shape your setup.

Where
On available grass next to your parking spot. Not in parking spaces or drive aisles.
Tailgreat Park
At the rear of your vehicle, not in an empty space beside it, and not in the traffic lanes.
Grills
No charcoal grills.
Tents
Pop-ups follow the maker's weighted-leg rules, never go in aisles or spaces, and are never left alone.
Wind
Sustained winds over 20 mph and tents must come down.
Alcohol
Ohio law and City of Athens rules apply, including the open container ban in public spaces.
Your space
One space per vehicle. First come, first served. No saving spaces.
When it ends
No overnight parking. Cars left overnight are towed. Clean up and use the trash bins before you go.
Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

OHIO Football vs. Central Michigan game day parking (Oct. 10, 2026)Homecoming game day: plan ahead for parking, traffic and more (2026)Tailgreat ParkOhio football 2026 parking map

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

Pack for Athens

What we'd bring.

More for this lot

Athens sits in the hills, and fall mornings by the river start cold and damp. Bring layers and rain gear.

Shipping and returns

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

Where the party is

Peden sits low by the Hocking River, with the donor lots and Tailgreat Park packed between the river, the Convocation Center and South Green. Ohio sends the tailgate onto the grass beside the cars, which gives the whole riverside a lawn-party feel by rule.

The river lot

Tailgreat Park

An all-grass lot along the Hocking River across from Peden, where you tailgate at the rear of your car. Season passes are for season ticket holders; single-game passes are 1 per account.

The street

Bobcat Boulevard

South Green Drive outside Peden, marked Bobcat Boulevard on the 2026 parking map.

By the stadium

Green Lot

The donor lot right beside Peden along Richland Ave, with a VIP section.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Charcoal is out at Ohio, so plan around a gas grill (check the propane rule first) or food made at home.

Getting out

Everything funnels back over the Hocking River to SR 682 and U.S. 33. Your options, best first:

  1. Ride the shuttle back. Shuttles run from Peden to the perimeter lots until 1 hour after the game.
  2. Follow the signs out. Richland Ave back across the river to the SR 682 traffic circle, with the 2026 roundabout work in mind.
  3. Leave your car overnight. It gets towed. Every lot, every game.

First time here?

  • Lot times are posted per game. Homecoming 2026 opened at 7 a.m.
  • Tailgate on the grass beside your spot, not in the space.
  • No charcoal grills.
  • Tents come down in sustained winds over 20 mph.
  • No overnight parking, and no cash for parking.
  • Game day lots are on the campus edge, with a shuttle to Peden.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

Game day parking is first come, first served on the campus edge, so plan on the shuttle. Bring something to share and say hello before you step into a setup.

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