Miami RedHawks · College · MAC

Tailgating at Yager Stadium

Aerial view of Yager Stadium and Millett Hall in Oxford, Ohio, with the big Millett parking lot beside them, in October
Photo: Ken Lund, CC BY-SA 2.0, cropped

Miami's students have a case for the lot: why stand around at Brick Street Bar paying for expensive drinks when the tailgate has snacks? A senior made that argument in The Miami Student in 2025, the year the Interfraternity Council's tailgate brought 25 fraternities together with a live DJ, food and drinks from 9 a.m. Back in 2019, an international student at a first Miami home game found a band playing, lost count of the RVs and bought a hot dog, a food the student had only ever seen on television.

The lot answer

Miami tailgates in the lots around Yager, with Hannon Park, the grassy season-ticket lot northeast of the stadium, as the one Miami calls great for tailgating. Game-day parking is the West Millett lot through Gate 2 off E. Sycamore St, then the lots off Bonham Rd, and the free fan fest is on the Millett Hall west lawn.

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before kickoff, lots open
5 hrs
credit or debit only to park
Card
needed to use game lots
Ticket
gates open before kickoff
90 min
Get the Pregame for the RedHawksEmail me Or get the one-page game-day sheet
Rules checked Oct 15, 2026
Sources

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against miamiredhawks.com and miamioh.edu.

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Can't miss

  1. The Cradle of Coaches Statues of the famous coaches who started at Miami stand outside the stadium: Paul Brown, Weeb Ewbank, Ara Parseghian, Bo Schembechler and more.

Quick answers

What time do the Miami lots open?

Miami's football lots open 5 hours before kickoff, and tailgating starts when they do. Lots are closed overnight, and grass lots can close if the ground is too soft.

Can you grill at Miami tailgates?

Miami's 2026 game day pages don't post a grill rule. Ask the ticket office at 513-529-4295 before you pack a grill.

Can you drink at Miami tailgates?

Miami says possession and drinking fall under Ohio law and City of Oxford rules, so it's 21 and over. No outside alcohol goes into Yager Stadium.

Do you need a ticket to tailgate at Miami?

Yes, to park. Miami says you must have a ticket to the game to use the parking areas. The pregame fan fest on the Millett Hall west lawn is open to all fans.

How do you buy parking at Miami?

Add it when you buy tickets online, since the price goes up on game day. Game day parking is card only, in the West Millett lot first, then the lots off Bonham Rd.

The game-day timeline

  1. 5 hrs beforeParking lots open and tailgating begins
  2. 2 hrs 15 min beforeHawk Walk, the team's arrival
  3. 2 hrs beforeShuttles start running from the lots to the stadium. The pregame fan fest opens
  4. 90 min beforeGates open to Yager Stadium
  5. 15 min beforeThe Miami University Marching Band takes the field
  6. 30 min afterShuttles stop running

Where to park

Game day parking fills West Millett first, then spills to the lots off Bonham Rd. Season passes have their own lots.

Game day
West Millett lot (enter at Gate 2 off E. Sycamore St), then the lots off Bonham Rd. Card only, staffed.
Season lots
Fryman and East Millett off Bonham Rd, Hannon Park northeast of the stadium, and the M Lot and DISC Lot by Gate 3.
Hannon Park
A grassy season-ticket lot northeast of Yager. Miami calls it great for tailgating.
RV
West Millett lot, enter at Gate 1. Season RV spots (with hookups) are sold out; per-game overflow spots without hookups, except Family Weekend.
Accessible
The northernmost rows of the West Millett lot, through Gate 1, with a state placard or plate. Card only. Shuttles available.
Shuttles
Buses run from the lots to the northwest and south gates of Yager, from about 2 hours before kickoff until 30 minutes after.
Yager Stadium game-day parking, simplified
Yager Stadium game-day parking, simplified
 See the official Yager Stadium parking map

Miami recommends Waze or Google Maps on game day. They update as lots fill and send you to the next open one.
Gameday passes don't guarantee a lot. Want to park next to friends? Enter the lot at the same time.
No car? Butler County Regional Transit Authority buses are Miami's game day shuttles for 2026, running from the parking lots to the stadium gates.

The rules

Rules last verified Oct 15, 2026 against miamiredhawks.com and miamioh.edu.

Miami's posted rules are about space and timing. Grill and tent rules aren't posted.

Your space
Tailgating stays in a small area around your vehicle. Don't block lanes or the spaces beside you.
Saving spots
Not allowed. Enter the lot together if you want to park together.
Alcohol
Ohio law and City of Oxford rules apply. No outside alcohol into Yager.
Grills
Not posted for 2026. Ask the ticket office before you pack one.
Tents
Not posted for 2026. Keep it inside your small area by the car.
When it ends
Lots close overnight. Shuttles stop 30 minutes after the game.
Smoking
Miami's campuses are smoke and tobacco free, parking lots and your own car included.
Bags at the gate
Clear, up to 12 x 6 x 12 inches, 1 per ticket, plus a clutch up to 4.5 x 6.5 inches.
Gates open
90 minutes before kickoff.
Compare the rules in all 173 guides →

Before you go

2026 Miami Football Gameday CentralMiami Gameday Central: parkingMiami 2026 single-game football tickets and parkingYager Stadium clear bag policyMiami football 2026 parking map

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

Pack for Oxford

What we'd bring.

More for this lot

Southwest Ohio Saturdays swing from warm in September to raw in November. Bring a layer and rain gear.

Shipping and returns

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Where the party is

Yager sits on the north edge of campus with Millett Hall and its huge lot just to the south, so the tailgate is mostly one big parking lot. Miami keeps it tight on purpose: a small area by your car, nothing in the lanes, and a free fan fest on the Millett Hall west lawn.

The free party

Pregame fan fest

Now on the Millett Hall west lawn, open to all fans, with live music, food trucks and drinks. It opens about 2 hours before kickoff.

The main lot

West Millett

The big game day lot off E. Sycamore St, where game day parking fills first and the RVs park.

The grass

Hannon Park

A park-like season-ticket lot northeast of the stadium by Gate 4, which Miami itself calls great for tailgating.

Know a setup worth showing off? Nominate your tailgate.

What to eat

Miami doesn't post a grill rule for 2026, so cold spreads and food made at home are the safe bet until you check. Food trucks work the fan fest on the Millett Hall west lawn.

Getting out

Every lot empties onto Sycamore and Bonham, and they all do it at once. Your options, best first:

  1. Take the shuttle to your lot. Postgame shuttles run from the stadium gates back to the lots until 30 minutes after the game.
  2. Let the app pick the road. Miami points fans to Waze or Google Maps, which update in real time.
  3. Floor it at the gun. Into the same two roads as everybody else in the lot.

First time here?

  • Lots open 5 hours before kickoff.
  • You need a game ticket to use the lots. Parking is card only.
  • Tailgate in a small area around your car. No saving spots.
  • Want to park next to friends? Arrive together.
  • The pregame fan fest on the Millett Hall west lawn is open to everyone.
  • Clear bag only. Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff.

Visiting? How to join a tailgate

Start at the fan fest on the Millett Hall west lawn, which is open to all fans. Then walk West Millett in your colors with something to share and say hello before you step into a setup.

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