The University of Minnesota permits tailgating on football game days in designated surface parking lots, during specified hours and under other general conditions. Tailgating may begin 6 hours before game time, but no earlier than 7 am. Tailgating must end 4 hours after game time or midnight, whichever comes first. All vehicles must leave the parking lots when they close at midnight. Green space within a parking lot or within 15 feet of a designated surface parking lot may be used for tailgating by the participants assigned to that parking lot. Tailgating is NOT permitted on any other University of Minnesota property, including parking ramps and garages. These policies are intended to enhance the football game day experience, promote a safe campus environment and preserve the beauty of our campus. Please park in designated lots provided for game day parking. Illegal parking will be strictly enforced, on and off campus, and will be subject to tagging and towing at owner's expense.

Event parking will be provided on all three University of Minnesota campus areas. The East Bank parking facilities are reserved for those who have purchased a season parking pass. For single game parking, please go to the West Bank or St Paul campuses. Directions to all single game parking facilities are listed below. For Season Parking Passes, please follow the directions sent with your parking pass.
EAST BANK — SEASON PARKING PASS HOLDERS ONLY
WEST BANK — LIMITED GAME DAY PARKING AVAILABLE

Northbound on I-35W: Continue on I-35W past downtown Minneapolis. Stay to the right and take the exit for “3rd St U of M” (Exit 17C). Stay in the middle lane and take the exit marked “U of M West Bank.” Turn right at the signal at the end of the off-ramp on to Washington Ave. S. This road will curve right and become Cedar Ave. Turn left at 3rd St. for the 19th Avenue Ramp. If full, go past the ramp entrance and turn right at 19th Ave. Then take your next left at 4th St to access the 21st Avenue Ramp.

Southbound on I-35W: Exit at Washington Ave. (Exit 17C) Turn left onto Washington Ave. S. This road will curve right and become Cedar Ave. Turn left at 3rd St. for the 19th Avenue Ramp. If full, go past the ramp entrance and turn right at 19th Ave. Then take your next left at 4th St to access the 21st Avenue Ramp.

Westbound on I-94: Exit at Riverside Ave. (Exit 235A). Turn right and follow Riverside Ave. for a few blocks. Turn right at 21st Ave. for access to the 21st Avenue Ramp.

Eastbound on I-94: Exit at 25th Ave. (Exit 235A). Turn left on 25th Ave. and then left again on Riverside Ave. Turn right at 21st Avenue for access to the 21st Avenue Ramp.
St. Paul – Game Day parking available

Northbound on I-35W: Follow I-35W to I-94. Continue on I-94 and exit at Snelling Ave. (Exit 238). Go left on Snelling Ave. Continue north to Dan Patch Ave. (State Fairgrounds) and take a left. Follow the event parking signs.

Southbound on I-35W: Take I-35W to Highway 36 East. Exit onto Snelling Ave. Southbound. Turn right on Dan Patch Ave. (State Fairgrounds). Follow the event parking signs.

East and Westbound on I-94: Follow I-94 and exit at Snelling Ave. (Exit 238). Go north on Snelling Ave. to Dan Patch Ave. (State Fairgrounds) and take a left. Follow the event parking signs.

Single Game Football Parking
Single game football parking (public parking in an attended facility) will only be available on West Bank and in St. Paul.

• St. Paul

o Gortner Avenue Ramp

• West Bank

o 19th Avenue Ramp
o 21st Avenue Ramp

Disability Parking

• Season ticket holders with a state-issued disability permit or plates may purchase a season parking pass that will be located in either Maroon Lot or Gold Lot. Contact the Athletics Office at 612-624-8080.

• A drop-off for disability patrons will be located adjacent to the stadium along University Avenue, directly in front of the bus drop-off.

• Gopher Athletics will be running an Ambassador Shuttle (6-passenger golf carts) from various parking facilities to the stadium for patrons with disabilities or those who cannot walk long distances. More details coming soon.

RV Parking
RV parking is available on game day only in the fairgrounds lot in St. Paul. Season ticket holders with RVs will be in the Discovery lot. Overnight parking is not allowed.


Gopher Football Shuttles
On home game-days, FREE Gopher Football Shuttles will connect parking locations on the West Bank and St. Paul campus to TCF Bank Stadium.

• Football shuttles will run every 15 minutes starting 4 hours before the game and increase to 5 minute service starting 2 hours before the game.

• After the game, shuttles will run continuously for an hour. After this, service will be reduced to 15 minute frequencies for one hour, and then 30 minute frequencies for up to three hours after the game ends but no later than midnight.

• The West Bank Shuttle will stop in the following locations:

o 4th Street S. between 19th and 20th Avenue S. (West Bank)
o Coffman Union/Northrop Mall (East Bank)
o TCF Bank Stadium (East Bank)

• The St. Paul Shuttle will stop at the following locations:

o Lot S108 (St. Paul fairgrounds lot)
o Northeastern corner of the Gortner Ave Ramp (St. Paul)
o TCF Bank Stadium (East Bank)

• Dedicated shuttles for those with disabilities or in nedd of extra assistance will be available on the West Bank and St. Paul football shuttle routes. These dedicated shuttles will load at the same location as the other Gopher Football shuttles except that the St. Paul disability shuttle, after the game, will load on the west side of 23rd Avenue where the shuttle drops off pre-game.

• All Gopher Football Shuttles are low-floor, one-level buses and are equipped with wheelchair lifts.

• In addition, the Campus Connector will be operating every 40 minutes at its normal stops on its regular weekend schedule.

Tailgating Rules:

• The following items and activities are allowed in lots: Gas grills with a maximum propane cylinder size of 20 pounds

• Consumption of alcoholic beverages by persons of legal drinking age, and in compliance with all applicable state laws, city ordinances and University policies

• Portable outdoor furniture

• Tents and awnings that do not block adjacent parking spaces, impede drive aisles or require the use of stakes

• Portable generators

• The following items and activities ARE NOT ALLOWED in lots: NO CHARCOAL

• Kegs, party balls, drinking game accessories and large quantity or common source containers of alcoholic beverages

• Glass containers of any kind, including bottles and cups

• Open fires fueled by charcoal, wood or other combustible materials of any kind

• Disruptive music or noise

• Couches or other large furniture items

• Promotional or marketing activities without appropriate authorization from the University

• Sale of products, food or beverages except as authorized by the University

• Occupying more than one parking space

• Saving a parking space for someone else

Tailgating Conduct

• Tailgaters must: Respect other people and property

• Properly dispose of trash

• Cooperate with law enforcement authorities and University personnel

• Comply with all applicable University, city, state and federal rules, policies, ordinances and laws Violation of any University of Minnesota Tailgating Rules could result in fines and loss of game tickets and tailgating Privileges.

TCF BANK stadium: The stadium’s open-air horseshoe design allows a capacity of 50,000, which includes general seats and an impressive array of Premium Seating. With sustainability in mind, 97% of the nearly 9,000 tons of steel used in the structure comes from recycled steel. Flexibility is also a key component of the design, with expansion up to 80,000 seats. All those seats are housed in a collegiate look and feel that will complement the campus environment, create two landscaped plazas, and accommodate other uses. The total cost is $288.5 million, which includes site preparation, the stadium itself, and district improvements. The stadium is part of a 75 acre expansion of the Twin Cities campus—the largest since the West Bank was built in the 1960s. Current plans for the area call for the construction of as many as 10 new academic buildings by 2015. The proposed Central Corridor light rail transit line is expected to run near the stadium, with a station in Stadium Village serving the facility.