Quick answers
What time does EMU tailgating start?
EMU's tailgate policy says tailgating can begin 3 hours before the scheduled kickoff and must end 15 minutes before kickoff. Alcohol isn't allowed on site before the window opens. Lots can open earlier for big days like Homecoming.
Can you grill at EMU tailgates?
Yes, in the same space your vehicle takes up. Oversized grills and grills on trailers need approval from EMU Athletics (734-487-1050), and open fires aren't allowed.
Can you drink at EMU tailgates?
Fans 21 and over can drink during the tailgate window, and everyone is subject to ID checks. No kegs, party balls or other common containers, no glass, no shots or jello shots, and no drinking games.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate at EMU?
No ticket rule is posted for tailgating. Under EMU's 2026 Homecoming plan, a valid game ticket shown at the lot entrance waived the parking fee, and everyone needs a ticket to get into the stadium.
How do you buy parking at EMU?
General parking is paid at the lot entrance, cash only, under EMU's 2026 plan, and the fee is waived if you show a valid game ticket. RVs park in the VIP lot with VIP passes from the EMU Athletic Ticket Office (734-487-3669).
The game-day timeline
- 3 hrs beforeTailgating may begin. No alcohol on site before this
- 2 hrs 15 min beforeEagle Walk: the team arrives on the stadium's front lawn
- 90 min beforeGates open
- 15 min beforeAll tailgating ends
Where to park
The general lots line Hewitt Road across from the stadium. Pay cash at the entrance or flash your ticket.
- General lots
- Rynearson lots 1 to 7 along N. Hewitt Rd, on the 2024 map, the latest EMU has posted.
- Payment
- Cash only at the lot entrance under EMU's 2026 plan. Show a valid game ticket and the fee is waived.
- Overflow
- Grass lots at the north and south ends of the main Rynearson lots, the Intramural Field lots, the Indoor Practice Facility and the Gervin GameAbove Center staff lot.
- RV
- VIP lot only, with VIP parking passes. RVs arriving before game day must coordinate with the EMU Athletic Ticket Office.
- Oversize
- Buses, U-Hauls and vehicles over 2 spaces need written approval from EMU Athletics (734-487-1050).
- Accessible
- Courtesy shuttle stops on Hewitt Rd by Lot 4 and near Gate 1, per the 2024 map.
EMU says parking fills fast on big days. Arrive early, and follow the parking staff to a spot.
Keep cash on you. The posted 2026 plan takes cash only at the lots.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against emueagles.com and emich.edu.
EMU's posted tailgate policy is short and specific. Here it is.
- When
- From 3 hours before kickoff to 15 minutes before. No alcohol on site before the window.
- Alcohol
- 21 and over, with ID checks. No kegs, party balls or common containers, no shots or jello shots, no drinking games.
- Grills
- Only in the space your vehicle takes up. Oversized or trailer grills need approval. No open fires.
- Tents
- 10 x 10 max unless EMU Athletics approves, directly behind your vehicle, not blocking traffic.
- Not allowed
- Glass, animals (service animals only) and tobacco. EMU is a tobacco-free campus.
- Sound
- External sound systems are allowed. Keep the noise in your own area.
- Bags at the gate
- One clear bag up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches or a 1-gallon clear bag, or a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches. Metal detectors at entry.
- Gates open
- 90 minutes before kickoff.
Before you go
EMU Football Tailgates (tailgate policy)Homecoming 2026: All Roads Lead to RynearsonEMU Football Game Day GuideEMU football parking map (2024, latest posted)Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Ypsilanti
What we'd bring.
-
Opener & Shotgun Tool
$7.99
Free over $50 (our gear)
-
55 qt Hard Cooler, 60 Cans
$299
Ships free
One cooler for the whole crew parked at the car: about 60 cans on ice.
More for this lot
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Bazooka Party Bar MINI Portable Bluetooth Speaker, 450 W, IP66$349.99 · Ships free
Where the party is
Rynearson is The Factory, home of the gray turf, and its lots run in a neat line down Hewitt Road. The tailgate window is one of the tightest around, 3 hours in and out 15 minutes before kickoff, so the setup has to be quick.
The front door
The front lawn
The stadium's front lawn hosts the Eagle Walk 2 hours 15 minutes before kickoff, and groups can ask EMU Athletics about reserving space there.
The main lots
Rynearson lots on Hewitt Rd
Lots 1 to 7 line Hewitt Road across from the stadium, with the VIP lot by the Gervin GameAbove Center.
The student side
Student tailgate area
EMU says every tailgate rule applies to the student tailgate area too.
Getting out
Every Rynearson lot empties onto Hewitt Road. Your options, best first:
- Wait out the first wave. Let Hewitt Rd clear before you pull out of the lot.
- Use the courtesy shuttle if you need it. The 2024 map shows stops by Lot 4 and near Gate 1.
- Follow the parking staff. EMU uses parking staff and ROTC to direct the lots on big days.
Skip this
Pull out at the final whistle. Straight into a single line of brake lights on Hewitt.
First time here?
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
Walk the Hewitt Road lots, and watch the Eagle Walk on the front lawn; it's free.
Free · one page · works offline
Your Rynearson 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.
