Can't miss
- The Cougar Paw Hold up your hand with the ring finger folded down. It's the Houston sign, and the whole stadium throws it.
Quick answers
What time do the UH lots open?
8 a.m. on game day. Overnight parking isn't allowed in game-day lots, except for pre-approved, prepaid RVs, and Cullen Blvd beside the stadium closes 7 hours before kickoff.
Can you grill at UH tailgates?
Yes, in surface lots. Grills must be 2 feet in diameter or smaller and at least 2 feet above the pavement, propane or charcoal. No grills in any parking garage. Douse charcoal with water and use the marked hot-coal cans.
Can you drink at UH tailgates?
If you're 21 or over, alcohol is allowed in the parking lots and official tailgate areas. Kegs, common containers, drinking games and anything meant to speed up drinking are banned, and so is glass. No outside alcohol goes into the stadium.
Do you need a ticket to tailgate at UH?
UH doesn't post a ticket rule for the lots. Cougar Alley, the tailgate area around the stadium, is reserved through UH Athletics or Revel XP, and Shasta's Kids Zone there is open to kids 13 and under.
How do you buy parking at UH?
Prepay for the Blue, Orange or Green lots online for the lower price, or buy on game day if spots are left. Teal lots on the east side are text-to-pay. All 2026 passes are digital.
The game-day timeline
- Game day 8 AMLots open
- 7 hrs beforeCullen Blvd closes by the stadium
- 4 hrs beforeShasta's Kids Zone and the ticket office open
- 2 hrs beforeFree game-day shuttles start
- About 2 hrs beforeCougar Walk: the team walks from Cullen Blvd to ICON Gate 2
- 90 min beforeTDECU Stadium opens
- 1 hr afterTailgating ends and the shuttles stop; Cullen Blvd reopens
Where to park
Prepaying is cheaper, and every 2026 pass is digital. Here's the lineup.
- Orange Lot
- Right north of the stadium off Holman St. Prepay or buy on game day if spots remain.
- Blue lots
- North side near Elgin St. Prepay or game day.
- Green Lot
- Southeast corner of Cullen Blvd and Wheeler Ave. Students with a campus permit park free here with their Cougar Card.
- Garages
- Purple Garage and others. Tailgating only on the top level, and no grills in any garage.
- RV
- Donor RVs in CougaRVillage (Brown Lot, enter off Holman St). Single-game RVs and oversize vehicles at the south end of the Green Lot.
- Accessible
- ADA spaces in game-day lots for qualified donors, and in text-to-pay lots and garages at game-day rates. Shuttles are ADA accessible.
Saving or blocking spaces isn't allowed. Your car and your setup share one space.
Free game-day shuttles loop campus from 2 hours before kickoff to 1 hour after the game.
No car? METRORail's Purple Line stops near Gate 3 on the west end of the stadium. Rideshare drops off and picks up at Elgin St and Cullen Blvd on the north side of campus.
The rules
Rules last verified Oct 14, 2026 against uhcougars.com and uh.edu.
UH spells its rules out clearly. Here's what applies in the lots.
- Your space
- One parking space per car and setup. No saving spots, and nothing in traffic or walkways.
- Grills
- Surface lots only, 2 feet across or smaller, 2 feet off the pavement. Propane or charcoal. None in garages.
- Alcohol
- 21 and over, in lots and official tailgate areas. No kegs, common containers, drinking games or glass.
- Tents
- 10 x 10 feet max unless approved. No stakes: water barrels, cement blocks or weights.
- Noise
- Music under 90 decibels.
- Smoking
- UH is tobacco free, including vaping, inside and outside the stadium.
- When it ends
- Tailgating runs up to 1 hour after the game, and everything is cleaned up by then.
- Bags at the gate
- Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, or a 1-gallon bag, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
- Gates open
- 90 minutes before kickoff. No re-entry.
Before you go
TDECU Stadium tailgating policyTDECU Stadium gameday guide (2026)2026 parking pricing update2026 football game day parking map (PDF)Official pages. Rules change; check them the week of the game.
Pack for Houston
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.
More for this lot
-
Daylodge AirHaven 30 Inflatable Vehicle Awning, 30 sq ft$799 · Ships free
-
ExtremeMist Pro Misting Fan, 270 PSI, Solar Rechargeable, with 16 ft Mist Line$349 · +$20 shipping
Early-season Houston games are hot and humid. Bring water, shade and a plan for pop-up storms.
Where the party is
UH tailgates in the lots ringing TDECU Stadium and across campus, with Cougar Alley on the east and north ends as the reserved pregame zone.
The close lot
The Orange Lot
Just north of the stadium off Holman St, one of the three main paid lots.
The reserved zone
Cougar Alley
The grass, sidewalks and plazas on the east and north ends of the stadium, booked through UH Athletics or Revel XP. Shasta's Kids Zone opens there 4 hours before kickoff.
The moment
The Cougar Walk
About 2 hours before kickoff, the team buses drop off on Cullen Blvd and the team walks to ICON Gate 2 on the southeast corner.
What to eat
Small grills are welcome in the surface lots, propane or charcoal, so a Houston tailgate can cook. Keep it 2 feet off the ground and out of the garages.
Getting out
UH gives you an hour after the game. Use it. Your options, best first:
- Take METRORail. The Purple Line stops near Gate 3 on the west end of the stadium.
- Hang at the tailgate. Tailgating runs up to 1 hour after the game, when Cullen Blvd reopens.
- Ride the shuttle to your lot. Free game-day shuttles run until 1 hour after the game.
Skip this
Call a rideshare to Cullen Blvd at the stadium. It's closed. Pick-up is at Elgin St and Cullen.
First time here?
- Lots open at 8 a.m. on game day.
- Prepay your parking for the lower price. Passes are digital.
- Small grill only, 2 feet off the ground, never in a garage.
- No glass, no kegs, and one space per car.
- Line Cullen Blvd for the Cougar Walk, about 2 hours before kickoff.
- Clear bag only, and no re-entry.
Visiting? How to join a tailgate
UH backs the Big 12's code of sportsmanship and asks fans to treat visitors with courtesy. Park in a paid lot, walk the lots toward Cougar Alley, bring something to share and wait for a wave.
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Your TDECU Stadium game-day sheet, by email
One page for the lot: where to park, when it opens, what you can bring.
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