Nebraska hosts the Washington Huskies at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, October 31, 2026. On home football Saturdays, over 85,000 people flood into the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL) City Campus, temporarily turning downtown Lincoln into the state's third-largest city. Getting around on game day means knowing the boundaries: donor-only lots ring the stadium, while public parking is split between municipal decks and park-and-ride shuttle lots. Pinning down your Nebraska vs Washington parking in Lincoln before kickoff will save you from sitting in gridlock and ensure you're in your seat before the Tunnel Walk.

Where to Park for Nebraska vs Washington: UNL Football Gameday Parking Options

If you don't have a donor pass, your options center on UNL public facilities east of 14th Street and municipal garages around downtown Lincoln or the Historic Haymarket. Every surface lot immediately around Memorial Stadium (Lots 1 through 8, 12, 23, 24, and 26) belongs exclusively to Huskers Athletic Fund donors, and you must have a pre-issued season hangtag to enter.

Fans looking for UNL football gameday parking without permits need to look east of 14th Street on City Campus or west into downtown. The university runs several parking garages and surface areas open to anyone, including 14th & Avery, 17th & R, and 19th & Vine. If you want to grab food in the Haymarket before heading over, look into the City of Lincoln's Park and Go garages, or book an off-street private driveway through Prked within walking distance of the gates.

Nebraska vs Washington Parking Cost: How Much Is Parking Near Memorial Stadium?

Budgeting for parking helps avoid surprises on game day. Spaces close to Memorial Stadium run between $10 and $35, depending on how close you are and who manages the lot. UNL's open surface lots charge tiered rates of $10, $15, or $20, while campus garages charge a flat $25 fee.

Municipal garages run by the city's Park and Go service usually charge between $20 and $35 under Lincoln event parking rates. Surface lots that allow tailgating, like the Pinnacle Bank Arena Festival Lot, cost $35 to $40. If you try your luck with street meters downtown, keep in mind enforcement runs Saturdays from 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. You can buy an all-day meter session through the Passport Parking app for about $15.

Can You Pay Cash for Nebraska Memorial Stadium Parking?

No. You cannot pay with cash on university property or in official Memorial Stadium stalls. Every UNL lot, campus garage, and stadium concessions register is completely cashless.

Attendants take debit cards and major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express. The city's Park and Go garages also rely on cards or digital pre-bookings. Have a card ready to swipe or tap when you pull up to the gate.

What Time Does Memorial Stadium Parking Open for Nebraska vs Washington in October?

Official UNL campus surface lots open at 6:00 AM for games kicking off prior to 6:00 PM. If kickoff is set for 6:00 PM or later, those lots open at 11:00 AM. Off-campus facilities, including Park and Go municipal garages and the Pinnacle Bank Arena Festival Lot, open at 7:00 AM regardless of game time.

Keep an eye on the clock if your permit is for Lot 4 or Lot 6. Roads leading into both lots close completely 90 minutes before kickoff so fans can walk safely around the gates. Security checkpoints will turn away cars after that 90-minute cutoff, and the streets stay blocked off until postgame crowds disperse. Arriving three to four hours early gives you plenty of time to find your spot and steer clear of road closures.

Memorial Stadium ADA Parking Lincoln: Accessible Stalls and Shuttles

For single-game ADA parking near Memorial Stadium, your main choice is the 14th & Avery Garage (Lot 9). Parking costs a flat $25 and includes a dedicated golf cart shuttle over to the stadium. To pull into these spots, you must display a valid state disability placard or license plate.

The golf cart picks up at the bus lobby on the southeast corner of the garage and drops fans off near the northeast and east stadium gates. You can also find accessible public stalls in surface lots east of the stadium, plus a handful of first-come, first-served accessible meters along 14th and Vine streets.

Memorial Stadium Shuttle Parking Lincoln: Park and Ride Bus Services

If you prefer not to drive downtown, iPronto runs official game-day park-and-ride shuttles from outlying lots directly to campus. Buses drop riders off along R Street between 13th and 14th, two short blocks southeast of Memorial Stadium.

Pickup locations around Lincoln:

• Lincoln North Star High School (5801 N 33rd St)
• SouthPointe Pavilions (2910 Pine Lake Rd, south side of Von Maur)
• Gateway Mall (6100 O St)
• Lincoln Northwest High School (4901 W Holdrege St)

Cash boarding is no longer an option; you have to book your seat online beforehand. iPronto also operates buses from Omaha and other regional hubs for fans traveling from further away. In-town bus fares run $10 for a one-way trip inbound, $25 for a round trip with a delayed return, and $30 for a round trip returning right after the game.

Can You Tailgate and Drink Beer in UNL Football Gameday Parking Lots?

No. Drinking beer, wine, or liquor and setting up alcohol-friendly tailgates in UNL lots or garages is against the law under Nebraska State Statute 53-186, which prohibits alcohol on state- and university-owned property.

Campus fire and safety rules also prohibit charcoal grills, propane heaters, and open flames inside or on top of any university garages, including 14th & Avery, 17th & R, and 19th & Vine.

Fans wanting a classic tailgate with food and drinks need to head off-campus. The Pinnacle Bank Arena Festival Lot, surface spaces near Haymarket Park (Lots 19, 20, and 21), and independent private lots throughout the Haymarket district all permit tailgating.

Pinnacle Bank Arena Festival Lot Nebraska Football Parking and Tailgating

The Pinnacle Bank Arena Festival Lot and its neighboring Premium Garage are the main spots for outdoor tailgating in Lincoln. The arena sits about 0.6 miles southwest of Memorial Stadium. A pedestrian bridge links the area straight to campus, letting you walk over the railroad tracks and heavy street traffic below.

There are roughly 1,300 outdoor tailgating spaces in the Festival Lot. Spots cost $35 if you reserve online before noon on the Wednesday ahead of the game; whatever is left over sells on Saturday morning for $40. Gates open at 7:00 AM. Grilling is allowed as long as you keep grills at least three feet away from vehicles, structures, and crowds. Open bonfires and unattended cooking setups are barred.

Downtown Lincoln Parking Garages Game Day Guide: Walking Distance to Memorial Stadium

Using downtown Lincoln parking garages on game day provides convenient access to both the stadium and pregame dining. Several City of Lincoln Park and Go municipal garages are located within an 8- to 15-minute walk of Memorial Stadium, primarily concentrated in the Historic Haymarket and downtown business core.

Why Is Private Residential Parking in the North Bottoms a Smart Option?

Skip the backed-up city garages and donor-only restrictions by looking at residential driveways and yards just north of the stadium. The North Bottoms neighborhood sits across Salt Creek and the railroad tracks, putting you right next to the venue with a much easier exit route after the clock runs out.

• Immediate Neighborhood Streets: Most home parking is situated along Charleston, Claremont, Court, and Y streets between North 8th and North 12th.
• Short 5- to 10-Minute Walk: Homes here are only 0.30 to 0.60 miles from Memorial Stadium. You walk south over the Salt Creek Roadway or down the North 10th Street viaduct directly to the North and West stadium gates. That cuts your walking distance nearly in half compared to UNL's public garage at 19th & Vine (0.85 miles).
• Elimination of Garage Bottlenecks: Instead of sitting for 30 to 60 minutes in a single-file line trying to get down a parking ramp at Red 1, Green 2, or Larson, you pull straight out of a driveway and onto the road.
• Direct Northbound Highway Route: Cars leaving the North Bottoms steer clear of the foot-traffic gridlock at 10th and Q streets by driving north on North 10th or North 14th Street. Both streets tie directly into Cornhusker Highway (US-6), putting you on Interstate 80 without waiting at downtown traffic lights.

Booking through Prked lets you reserve a spot in the neighborhood ahead of time. The service carries a 5.0/5 rating on Trustpilot across more than 750 reviews, often pricing out cheaper than downtown parking garages. Having an on-site resident host watching over the property means your vehicle stays in a reserved space, while you get an easy walk to the gates and a straight shot north to Cornhusker Highway when it's time to head home.

How to Book Nebraska vs Washington Parking in Advance

You can secure your spot ahead of time through UNL's ParkMobile system, the city's Park and Go website, or private booking platforms like Prked.

For university campus facilities:

1. Go to the UNL ParkMobile site or app before game day.
2. Pick the Nebraska vs Washington game and select an open public garage (like 14th & Avery or 19th & Vine).
3. Pay online and print out the parking permit. UNL requires a physical, printed pass on your dashboard to enter campus garages.

For City of Lincoln parking garages:

1. Head to the Park and Go portal at parkandgo.org.
2. Pick a deck (such as Red 1, Green 2, or Larson) and purchase a single-game pass.
3. Save the digital QR code or barcode to your phone to scan at the entry gates.

If you would rather steer clear of parking decks altogether, Prked lets you rent private driveways or reserved local spots. The platform ranks #1 on Trustpilot in both the Parking Garage and Parking Lot categories, giving you a dedicated parking space clear of garage exit lines and stadium street closures.

Where Can Uber or Lyft Drop You Off Near Memorial Stadium?

The university and Lincoln Police require Uber, Lyft, and taxi drivers to use two specific drop-off and pickup zones:

1. Salt Creek Roadway Cutout: Just northwest of Memorial Stadium at the bus turnout. This puts you closest to the North and West entrances.
2. Vine Street Turnaround: East of 14th Street on Vine, right by Henzlik Hall. This works best for seats near the East and South gates.

Drivers cannot stop, wait, or let riders out along Stadium Drive, 10th Street, or 14th Street; police issue citations right away for drop-offs on these roads. When you order a ride after the game, head over to the Vine Street turnaround or walk a few blocks into downtown around 11th and P streets so your driver can reach you without getting stuck in foot traffic.

14th and Avery Garage Parking Nebraska vs. Downtown Park and Go Lincoln Husker Game Decks

Picking between the 14th & Avery garage and downtown Park and Go facilities usually comes down to whether you care more about proximity or getting out quickly after the game.

The 14th & Avery Garage (Lot 9) sits two blocks east of the stadium on 14th Street. For anyone who needs ADA accommodations, it is by far the most convenient option, charging a flat $25 and providing continuous golf cart shuttles straight to the gates. The catch is postgame traffic. Because thousands of fans walk down 14th Street right after the final whistle, getting your car out of the structure and onto local streets can take a long time.

Downtown Park and Go Garages (like Red 1 and Green 2) run slightly higher at $25 to $35 and require an 8- to 12-minute walk. The upside is their spot in Lincoln's entertainment district. You can grab food or hang out in the Haymarket while traffic thins out, and when you do leave, you have much faster access to one-way exits like 9th and K streets, avoiding the pedestrian crush around campus.

What Is the Fastest Way to Get Out of Lincoln Traffic After a Husker Game?

The quickest way to get out of Lincoln after the game is to stay away from Interstate 180 entirely. Instead, use routes like Rosa Parks Way, Antelope Valley Parkway, or Cornhusker Highway.

With more than 85,000 fans leaving Memorial Stadium at the same time, I-180 North toward Interstate 80 and the one-way stretches on 9th and 10th streets lock up right away. If you are heading towards Omaha or west toward Grand Island, these detours will save you time:

• Heading toward I-80 West or South Lincoln: Steer south or west toward Rosa Parks Way. That road turns into an expressway out to US-77 and connects right to Interstate 80, skipping downtown intersections.
• Heading toward I-80 East / Omaha: Leave from lots east of 14th Street (like 19th & Vine) and follow Antelope Valley Parkway north to Highway 6 / Cornhusker Highway. You can hop onto I-80 at Exit 409 and avoid the whole I-180 jam.
• Wait out the surge: Instead of burning gas for an hour trying to roll down a parking ramp, grab a bite or walk around the Haymarket or R Street until Lincoln Police clear the pedestrian paths and open normal traffic lanes.