Georgia Tailgating at Sanford Stadium: Lots, Times & Rules

Can't miss

Between the hedges You'll hear "between the hedges" all day; this is them, shoulder-high privet around the whole field since 1929, and the team comes through a gap in them.
Uga Georgia's mascot is a live white English bulldog, and on game day he has his own air-conditioned doghouse by the field.
Ringing the Chapel Bell After a Georgia win, fans line up to ring the bell on North Campus, sometimes past midnight.
Uga's resting place The past Ugas are buried in marble vaults by the southwest gate, and fans leave flowers and dog biscuits.

Quick answers

What time can you tailgate at Georgia?

7 a.m. on game day. University lots and decks open then, with no entry before, and tailgate setups can't start earlier. North Campus opens for tailgating 5 hours before kickoff.

Can you grill at Georgia tailgates?

Charcoal, yes, except on North Campus, where grills and cookers of any kind are banned. Propane tanks aren't allowed for anything, fryers and heaters included. Grills on disposable canisters of 17 ounces or less are the exception.

Can you drink at Georgia tailgates?

Athens-Clarke County bans open containers on county streets and sidewalks, and drinking under 21 is illegal. Kegs are banned on North Campus. Inside, beer is sold to fans 21 and over with photo ID, 2 per transaction, until the end of the 3rd quarter.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Georgia?

UGA doesn't post a ticket rule for the campus lawns. Everyone needs a ticket to get into Sanford Stadium, whatever their age.

How do you buy parking at Georgia?

In the ParkMobile app. The lots don't take cash. Most lots around the stadium are donor permit lots, so the public side is East Campus: the East Campus Deck and the Health/Visitor Center lots, with the Intramural Fields as overflow.

The game-day timeline

7 AMCampus lots and decks open, and setups can start
5 hrs beforeNorth Campus opens for tailgating
3.5 hrs beforeThe S shuttle starts from the East Campus Deck
2 hrs 15 min beforeThe Dawg Walk at the Tate Center
2 hrs beforeGates open
After the gameShuttles run back to East Campus for at least 1 hour

Where to park

Every lot and deck on campus opens at 7 a.m. and takes ParkMobile, not cash. The public parking is on East Campus.

Donor lots: Most lots ringing the stadium are Athletic Association permit lots, allocated by points.
East Campus: The East Campus Deck and the Health/Visitor Center lots, paid in the ParkMobile app.
Season passes: Carlton Street Deck, East Campus Deck, Health/Visitors Center and River Road, on ParkMobile. Limited, and they sell out.
Overflow: The Intramural Fields open once East Campus fills. No tailgating there.
RV: A season pass for E23 Park & Ride, sold on ParkMobile.
Accessible: Every S - Stadium Loop bus is accessible. If walking 1/2 mile is hard, park near the East Campus Deck, not the Intramural Fields.

Sanford Stadium and the University of Georgia game-day campus, simplified

See the official Sanford Stadium parking map

One vehicle per space, and tents and tables go on the lawns, not in parking spaces.
Bringing a trailer? It has to fit inside one marked space. Golf carts and ATVs aren't allowed on campus on game day.
No car on campus? The S - Stadium Loop runs from the East Campus Deck to Gate 6 starting 3.5 hours before kickoff. Taxis have no designated pickup spot at the stadium.
Off-campus options per Visit Athens (June 2026): the Classic Center downtown, about a 10-minute walk, sells tailgate packages or parking only, and spots fill up quickly. TailGAte Station is a gated tailgate park with shuttle service, where owners get 10 guest passes per game.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 28, 2026 against georgiadogs.com, tps.uga.edu, Visit Athens (June 25, 2026) and The Red & Black (Sept. 7, 2023).

Georgia writes its rules down in detail, and North Campus gets its own list.

Grills: Charcoal is fine. No propane tanks for anything, fryers and heaters included, except grills on disposable canisters of 17 oz or less. No wood fires or chimineas.
North Campus: No grills or cookers, kegs, generators, TVs or amplified music. Tables 6 feet max. Opens 5 hours before kickoff.
Alcohol: No open containers on county streets and sidewalks. Under 21 is illegal. No outside alcohol into the stadium.
Your space: One vehicle per space. Tents and tables stay out of parking spaces. Folding chairs only, no household furniture.
Power: Bring your own for a TV. No tapping UGA power or cable.
Not allowed: Corporate setups: private security, bartenders, DJs, fences, wristbands, paid admission or giveaways.
Cleanup: Bag your trash. Take it, or leave it at your spot for the UGA crew.
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: 2 hours before kickoff. No re-entry.

Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

2026 Football Gameday Central UGA tailgating policy UGA TPS football parking 2026 parking map (PDF)Sanford Stadium policies

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

Pack for Athens

What we'd bring.

Ultralight Tall-Back Camp Chair
$45

Ships free
Folding Beach Wagon, Big Wheels
$129

Ships free
Tents go on the quads, not in parking spaces, and some lots are a half-mile walk.

More for this lot

The Game Day Starter, $556.99Athens Campus Gameday cornhole boards, a Taiga 27 qt hard cooler and a Whirl Pong set of 2, in one cart. Shop the kit

Early-season games in Athens run hot, and late-season night games turn cold. Pack for the month.

Shipping and returns

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

Where the party is

Georgia tailgates on grass. Tents and tables can't go in parking spaces, so the whole thing spreads across the quads, from North Campus by the Arch to Myers Quad south of the stadium. Visit Athens sorted the crowds by spot in June 2026: Myers Quad is students with their parents, student organizations and returning alumni, and ESPN has broadcast College GameDay from it. The Carlton Street Deck is "usually home to alumni and an older crowd," the O-House lawn off South Lumpkin is "less student-dominated," and students play cornhole along Milledge Avenue near the Greek houses.

The historic lawns

North Campus

Opens 5 hours before kickoff. Tents are fine, but no grills, kegs, generators, TVs or amplified music, and tables top out at 6 feet. Herty Field, where Georgia football started, is part of it.

The big lawn

Myers Quad

UGA calls it one of the great gathering spots on campus. Standard campus rules: setups from 7 a.m., charcoal OK.

The moment

The Dawg Walk

2 hours 15 minutes before every home game, fans line the Tate Center lot as the band and cheerleaders bring the team from Lumpkin Street to Gate 10.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Charcoal does the cooking here. Propane tanks are banned, so the low-country boil pot and the turkey fryer stay home, and North Campus is cook-ahead only. Visit Athens suggests pimento cheese with Fritos, French onion dip with chips or vegetables with ranch for easy pregame snacks, calls burgers, hot dogs and fried chicken the classics, and says several Athens BBQ spots cater on game days.

Cook thisBrunswick stew

Getting out

Everyone leaves campus at once, and the police run a plan for it. Your options, best first:

Ride the shuttle back. S - Stadium Loop buses run from Gate 6 to the East Campus Deck and an area by the Intramural Fields for at least 1 hour after the game.
Walk to downtown. North Campus backs onto Broad Street and downtown Athens. Eat first and drive once the roads clear.
Follow the officers. Police run a postgame traffic plan, so your usual way out may be closed. Go where they point.
Skip this
Sprint for the deck at the final whistle. So will the rest of the stadium.

First time here?

Lots open at 7 a.m., and setups can't start before then.
Charcoal yes, propane tanks no. Disposable canisters of 17 oz or less are the exception.
On North Campus, leave the grill, the keg and the speaker at home.
Pay for parking in ParkMobile. The lots don't take cash.
Line the Tate Center lot for the Dawg Walk, 2 hours 15 minutes before kickoff.
Clear bag only, plus 1 unopened water bottle of 20 oz or less.
With kids: bring ear protection sized for little ears, like kids' earmuffs. Carriers are allowed but strollers aren't permitted in Sanford Stadium, private nursing stations are near Gate 2 and Section 222, and even infants need a ticket (The Red & Black, 2023).
Need a break: the Georgia Museum of Art has free air-conditioned galleries (timed tickets online), and the turtle pond and Horticulture Trial Gardens are on campus (The Red & Black, 2023).

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

The lawns are open campus, so you'll walk past plenty of setups between the Arch and the stadium. Wear your colors, bring something to share and wait for a wave before you pull up a chair. "Go Dawgs!" works as a greeting in all situations, Visit Athens says.

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