Western Michigan Broncos · College · MAC

Tailgating at Waldo Stadium

Lots open
5 hrs before kickoff
Grills
Yes · no large pull-behinds
Alcohol
Not banned · no kegs

Checked Oct 15, 2026

Stafford-Smith Field at Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo, seen from the hillside above the end zone with the stands empty
Photo: MSwierenga, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped

About three hours before kickoff, the Bronco Walk takes the team from the Student Center to the Bronco Statue outside Read Fieldhouse, and the marching band's pregame show follows. One graduate told a visiting Pittsburgh reporter in 2022 that the tailgate was "not quite the big-school lining the streets four hours before"; that night, for a Top 25 Pitt game, students headed out to tailgate along the track, a country concert played near the stadium, and the reporter described a "well-behaved, tailgating crowd."

The lot answer

Western Michigan's paid tailgate lots are 1, 20, 23, 33, 34, 35, 63, 64, 70, 75, 88, 103, 104 and 105, plus the RV lot off Oakland Dr. The Lawson Ice Arena and Miller Auditorium lots run a free shuttle to W. Michigan Ave and Stadium Dr, and the Bronco Athletic Fund lots ring the stadium.

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more tailgating after the game
1 hr
cashless lot entry
Cards
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Rules checked Oct 15, 2026
Sources

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against wmubroncos.com and wmich.edu.

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Quick answers

What time do the WMU lots open?

Parking lots open 5 hours before kickoff, and cars parked earlier will be asked to move or may be towed. Tailgating runs from then until kickoff, and again for 1 hour after the game.

Can you grill at WMU tailgates?

WMU's tailgating rules don't ban grills, but large pull-behind grills aren't permitted. Keep everything in your one space per vehicle.

Can you drink at WMU tailgates?

WMU's rules ban kegs, half barrels, pony kegs and other common alcohol containers, glass, drinking games and devices that speed up drinking. Outside alcohol can't go into Waldo Stadium.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate at WMU?

WMU doesn't post a ticket rule for the lots. Tailgate lots are paid at entry, the lots around Waldo need a Bronco Athletic Fund pass, and everyone needs a ticket to get into the stadium.

How do you buy parking at WMU?

Pay as you enter any tailgate lot. It's cashless, cards only. The lots right around Waldo Stadium are Bronco Athletic Fund donor lots, assigned by membership level.

The game-day timeline

  1. 5 hrs beforeTailgate lots open and the free shuttle from Lawson Arena starts
  2. 3 hrs beforeTicket office and public will call at Gate 1 open
  3. 90 min beforeGates open
  4. KickoffTailgating stops for the game and halftime
  5. 1 hr afterPostgame tailgating ends

Where to park

Paid tailgate lots spread across campus, with donor lots wrapped around the stadium.

Tailgate lots
1, 20, 23, 33, 34, 35, 63, 64, 70, 75, 88, 103, 104, 105 and the RV lot. Pay as you enter, cashless only.
Shuttle lots
Lawson Ice Arena lots (63, 64, 70, 75), the Miller Auditorium lots and Lot 23. Free shuttle to W. Michigan Ave and Stadium Dr.
Students
Lot 13, entered from Ring Rd S across from the Rec Center, not from W. Michigan Ave.
Donor lots
3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12, 17, 95 and 102, with a Bronco Athletic Fund pass. One space per pass, and no tents in the spaces.
RV
The RV lot off Oakland Dr. RVs may have to buy more than one space.
Accessible
Lots 4 and 6. For the ADA golf cart shuttle, text 269-699-2968 with your lot's shuttle stop letter.
Waldo Stadium game-day parking at Western Michigan, simplified
Waldo Stadium game-day parking at Western Michigan, simplified
 See the official Waldo Stadium parking map

WMU asks drivers to avoid Ring Rd and Stadium Dr by the stadium. Coming from the west, turn on Howard St: north for Miller and Lawson, south for the Oakland Dr lots.
No game-day parking in lots 8, 9, 14, 18, 29 or 92.
No pass? Park at Lawson Arena and ride the free shuttle to W. Michigan Ave and Stadium Dr, right across from Waldo. It runs after the game too.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against wmubroncos.com and wmich.edu.

WMU's rules are a straight list. These change what you bring.

When
From 5 hours before kickoff to the start of the game, then 1 hour after it. Not during the game or halftime.
Not allowed
Glass, couches and upholstered furniture, kegs and other common alcohol containers, drinking games.
Grills
Large pull-behind grills are not permitted.
Your space
One space per vehicle. Stand-alone tents go behind the vehicle and can't block traffic.
Vehicles
No oversized trucks or buses.
Sound
Nothing bigger than a typical small-gathering speaker.
Who's allowed
Service animals are the only animals in the tailgate area.
Bags at the gate
Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches, or a 1-gallon clear bag. One sealed water bottle.
Gates open
90 minutes before kickoff, at 8 gates. Gate 1 gets the most crowded. No re-entry.
Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

Know Before You Go: WMU Football (2026)WMU Football Game Day and Waldo Stadium InformationWMU football tailgate and parking map

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

Pack for Kalamazoo

What we'd bring.

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Kalamazoo turns cold by November, and night games get colder fast. Bring layers.

Shipping and returns

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Where the party is

Waldo sits in the middle of campus, so the tailgate spreads out: donor lots ring the stadium, and the paid lots run down Oakland Drive and out to Lawson Arena. The rule that sets WMU apart is the extra hour after the game.

The south lots

Oakland Drive lots

Lots 88, 103, 104 and 105 and the RV lot sit along Oakland Drive, south of the stadium, and are open to anyone who pays at entry.

The student lot

Lot 13

The WMU student tailgate lot, between W. Michigan Ave and the rail line by the Rec Center. If it fills, students park at Lawson and take the shuttle.

The moment

The Bronco Walk

The team walks from the Student Center to the Bronco Statue outside Read Fieldhouse before each home game.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

WMU only rules out large pull-behind grills, so a regular grill in your space works. Outside food and drink stay in the lot; only 1 sealed water bottle goes in.

Getting out

WMU gives you an hour after the game to tailgate. Use it. Your options, best first:

  1. Tailgate the extra hour. Tailgating is allowed for 1 hour after the game, while the campus roads drain.
  2. Ride the shuttle back. The free shuttle runs after the game from W. Michigan Ave and Stadium Dr to Lot 23 and Lawson Arena.
  3. Skip Stadium Dr and Ring Rd. WMU asks drivers to stay off both near the stadium. Use Howard St and Oakland Dr.

  4. Skip this

    Bail onto Stadium Dr at the gun. The one road WMU told you to avoid, with everyone else on it.

First time here?

  • Lots open 5 hours before kickoff. Earlier, and you may be towed.
  • Lot entry is cashless.
  • Tailgating pauses for the game and runs 1 more hour after it.
  • No kegs, glass, couches or pull-behind grills.
  • No pass? Park at Lawson Arena and ride the free shuttle.
  • Clear bag only. Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. No re-entry.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

The Oakland Drive lots are open to anyone who pays, so start there. Walk the rows in your colors with something to share and say hello before you step into a setup.

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