Quick answers
What time does Missouri State tailgating open?
Tailgating begins 3 hours before kickoff and ends at kickoff. The parking lots and BearFest Village open at the same time, 3 hours out, per the 2026 game-day timelines.
Can you grill at Missouri State tailgates?
Yes. Missouri State's BearFest Village FAQ says fans are welcome to bring their own coolers and grills. There's no electricity in BearFest Village or the tailgate lots, and generators are banned.
Can you drink at Missouri State tailgates?
Alcohol is allowed in BearFest Village and the tailgating lots for fans 21 and over under the University Alcohol Policy. Hard liquor, glass and drinking games are not allowed.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Missouri State?
No reservation is needed to join BearFest Village; fans without one can visit Boomer's Backyard and the BearGarden. Reservations are only for a group's own space.
How do you buy parking at Missouri State?
Single-game passes for Lots 18, 22 and the BearPark South garage are sold in advance online or on game day, cashless only, based on availability. Lots 19 and 4 aren't sold for single games, and other campus lots and the BearPark North garage are free on game day.
The game-day timeline
- 5 hrs beforeReserved BearFest Village groups start loading in (1 vehicle, 15 minutes)
- 3 hrs beforeParking lots and BearFest Village open. Tailgating starts
- 2 hrs beforeBear Walk
- 1 hr beforeGates open. Student cooler check opens
- 45 min beforePep rally at the Bear Head
- KickoffTailgating ends
Where to park
Three paid lots sell single-game passes. Most other campus lots are free on game day.
- Paid lots
- Lots 18 and 22 and the BearPark South garage. Cheaper in advance, cashless on game day, based on availability.
- Free
- All other campus lots (except residence life areas) and the BearPark North garage.
- Not for sale
- Lot 19 and Lot 4 are no longer sold as single-game parking. Lot 4 is for football suite holders.
- No tailgating
- BearPark South and BearPark North garages.
- Students
- Lot 24, at Grand and National, is the free student tailgate lot, by free reservation.
- Accessible
- The 2026 parking map marks ADA parking in Lot 4.
- Weeknights
- For weekday games, Lots 18, 22, 4, 19 and BearPark South close earlier in the day and reopen for game-day pass holders.
McDonald Arena is under construction all season. Kings Street and the area north of the arena are closed, including to BearFest Village.
Reserved BearFest Village groups get load-in details by email the week of the game. Read it, because the procedure can change.
No car? Missouri State doesn't post a game-day shuttle or rideshare zone.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against missouristatebears.com.
The window is short and the rules are clear. Here's what shapes your setup.
- Grills
- Allowed. Bring your own, along with coolers and games.
- Alcohol
- 21 and over, in BearFest Village and the tailgating lots, under the University Alcohol Policy.
- Not allowed
- Glass, tobacco and smoking, hard liquor, drinking games and generators.
- Tents
- Pop-ups up to 10 x 10 feet, weighted down. No stakes.
- Power
- No electricity in BearFest Village or the tailgate lots.
- When it ends
- At kickoff. No one stays in the tailgate areas during the game.
- Bags at the gate
- Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a 1-gallon clear bag, plus a small clutch. No umbrellas.
- Gates open
- 1 hour before kickoff, per the 2026 game-day timelines. Plaster Stadium is cashless.
Before you go
Missouri State Football Fan Guide 2026BearFest Village tailgating informationTailgate and parking updates for 20262026 Missouri State football parking mapOfficial pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Springfield
What we'd bring.
-
Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45
Ships free
-
55 qt Hard Cooler, 60 Cans
$299
Ships free
One cooler for the whole crew parked at the car: about 60 cans on ice.
Springfield swings from warm September days to cold November nights. Pack layers for the late-season games.
Where the party is
Missouri State builds its tailgate around BearFest Village, a stretch of campus north of the stadium toward Carrington Hall, and anyone can walk in without a reservation. It's a 3-hour window that shuts at kickoff, so the action is packed in.
The main event
BearFest Village
The official tailgate on campus north of Plaster Stadium, running from Carrington Hall to west of Hammons Fountain. Reserved group spaces, plus Boomer's Backyard and the BearGarden for everyone else.
The student side
Lot 24
The free student tailgate lot at Grand and National, for students and registered student groups by reservation. One Bear Walk route starts here.
The moment
The Bear Walk
About 2 hours before kickoff, fans line the routes as the team heads to the locker room: one from west of Meyer Library through BearFest Village, and one from Lot 24 through the Grand Street underpass.
What to eat
Grills are welcome, but there's no power and no generators, so bring your own fuel and keep the cooler full.
Getting out
Tailgating is over at kickoff, so the drive out starts right after the game. Your options, best first:
- Park in a free lot away from the stadium. You walk farther in, but you skip the paid-lot crush on the way out.
- Follow the traffic flow map. Missouri State posts a game-day traffic flow map. Check it before you go.
- Let BearFest groups clear first. Reserved groups tear down about 30 minutes after the game, once Public Safety says it's safe.
Skip this
Race to Grand Street at the final whistle. Along with every car in Lots 18 and 22.
First time here?
- Tailgating runs 3 hours before kickoff until kickoff.
- You don't need a reservation to join BearFest Village.
- No glass, no hard liquor, no generators.
- Tents up to 10 x 10 feet, weighted, no stakes.
- Parking is cashless. Many campus lots are free.
- Clear bag only, and no umbrellas.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
BearFest Village is open without a reservation, so start at Boomer's Backyard or the BearGarden. Bring something to share and say hello before you step into a group's space.
Free · one page · works offline
Your Robert W. Plaster Stadium game-day sheet, by email
One page for the lot: where to park, when it opens, what you can bring.
We don't sell your email.
