You can tailgate at most bowl games, but the bowl, not the home team, runs game-day parking, so the rules can differ from a regular-season game. Expect prepaid parking passes, a game ticket to get into the lots, and tailgating that ends at kickoff. A few bowls don't allow lot tailgating at all: the Sugar Bowl's own parking page bans unauthorized tailgating at the Superdome. Below are the 2026–27 dates and venues, with each host stadium's lot rules from our stadium guides.
College Football Playoff dates and venues
- First round, Dec. 18 and 19: on the higher seeds' home fields, so the regular home-game rules in that school's guide are your best guide.
- Fiesta Bowl quarterfinal, Wed., Dec. 30: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.
- Cotton Bowl quarterfinal, Fri., Jan. 1: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas.
- Peach Bowl quarterfinal, Fri., Jan. 1: Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta.
- Rose Bowl quarterfinal, Fri., Jan. 1: Rose Bowl Stadium, Pasadena, Calif.
- Orange Bowl semifinal, Thu., Jan. 14: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Fla.
- Sugar Bowl semifinal, Fri., Jan. 15: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans.
- National championship, Mon., Jan. 25: Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.
Dates and venues are from the published 2026–27 schedule. Kickoff times and matchups are set closer to the games.
What to expect at each CFP venue
These are the host stadium's rules at regular-season games. Bowls can change them, so check the bowl's own game-day page the week of the game.
- State Farm Stadium (Fiesta): propane or natural gas grills only, no charcoal, tents up to 10 x 10 inside the red fire lane, and tailgating ends at kickoff.
- AT&T Stadium (Cotton): tailgating on the grass edges of set lots, up to 9 x 12 feet behind your car. Charcoal and gas are both fine; deep fryers and open fires aren't.
- Mercedes-Benz Stadium (Peach): propane or natural gas only, one weighted 10 x 10 tent per space, and the tent comes down before you go in.
- Rose Bowl (Rose): grills off the ground, tents 10 x 10 or smaller on the grass lots only, and no trailers or grills in tow.
- Hard Rock Stadium (Orange): gas and charcoal are fine, no open fires or kegs, and your setup fits the box painted behind your car. For a recent Orange Bowl, parking was prepaid only with no game-day sales, and four lots were no-tailgating zones: Lot 19, Norwood, Calder and the Betty T. Ferguson Recreational Complex.
- Caesars Superdome (Sugar): no lot tailgating. Last season the pregame was Tailgate Town in Champions Square, open to game ticket holders only, with no exit back out before the Superdome gates opened.
- Allegiant Stadium (title game): tailgating only in designated lots, from the back of your car to the red line, and it ends when the game starts. Everyone in a parked vehicle needs an event ticket.
Other bowls at stadiums we cover
About two dozen more bowls are at stadiums we cover, from the Celebration Bowl on Dec. 12 to the Liberty Bowl on Jan. 2. If you're picking the trip for the lot, it's Pasadena, not New Orleans: the Rose Bowl's grass lots take grills, the Superdome takes nothing.
Do you need a game ticket to tailgate at a bowl game?
Usually, yes. Several host stadiums already require one at regular-season games: Allegiant wants an event ticket for everyone in a parked vehicle, Reliant Stadium wants a game ticket or Tailgate Ticket for everyone over 2, and State Farm Stadium's Sportsman's Park is for game-day ticket holders.
When does bowl game tailgating end?
Often at kickoff. That's the regular rule at State Farm Stadium, Raymond James Stadium, Nissan Stadium and Allegiant Stadium. Plan to finish eating before you head for the gate, since there's usually no re-entry.
How to plan a bowl trip tailgate
- Buy parking with your tickets. Bowl parking is often prepaid, and lots near the stadium go first.
- Flying in? Pick up a grill and a cooler near the stadium, or go with food that's already cooked. See how to tailgate without a grill.
- Check the fuel rule. Charcoal is out at State Farm and Mercedes-Benz; propane is out at Nissan Stadium.
- Pack for the weather. Bowls in Annapolis and Boise can be cold; see cold-weather tailgating. If rain's in the forecast, see tailgating in the rain.
Dates and venues checked Oct. 28, 2026. We'll add kickoff times and matchups in December.
