Ohio State vs Maryland Parking Guide: Ohio Stadium (2026)

Heading to the Horseshoe to watch the Buckeyes take on the Terrapins? Official Ohio Stadium parking lots are 100% cashless, open strictly at 5:00 AM, and fill up fast. Skip the game day gridlock with our definitive guide to day-of-game lots, tailgating rules, and the secret escape routes the locals use.

We bypass the generic maps handed out by the university by exposing the dreaded "Ackerman Road Trap", providing actionable post-game escape routes (like the ARC Industries charity hack), and warning fans about crucial COTA bus schedule drops for night games. When you are fighting 100,000 other people for a slab of concrete along the Olentangy River on October 10, 2026, you need a major tactical advantage.

How Much is Parking at Ohio Stadium for a Football Game?

If you are typing "how much is day of game parking at Ohio State" into your phone on the way to Columbus, here is the absolute most important thing you need to know first: Do Ohio State parking lots take cash on game day? No. All official Ohio State gameday parking lots and garages are 100% cashless. You must bring a credit card, debit card, or use a smartphone payment method like Apple Pay or Google Pay. If you show up to an official university lot with a wad of cash, the attendants will turn you around, and you will lose your spot in line.

Ohio State football parking prices operate on a tiered system based on how close you want to be to the stadium gates and how long you are willing to walk.

• Premier Day-of-Game Lots: These run $60 per event. The Ag Administration and Vivian lots fall into this category. They put you on the agriculture campus just across the river, giving you a quick 5-10 minute walk to the north gates of Ohio Stadium.
• Proximity Day-of-Game Garages: You will pay $40 per event to park in structures like the Neil Ave Garage or Arps Garage. These are centrally located on the main campus. You get a covered spot, but you also inherit a 10-15 minute walk and massive pedestrian bottlenecks when trying to drive out.
• Non-Proximity Lots: These cost $30 per event and are heavily concentrated in the West Campus / Carmack 1 lots located far west of SR 315. To make up for the distance, the university runs a free direct shuttle to the stadium area.
• ADA Accessible Parking: These lots (St. John Arena and Lane Ave Garage) cost $30 per event and include specialized shuttle service.
• RV Parking: If you are asking where to park an RV for Ohio State football, you need an advance season permit for the Gray or Buckeye lots. These spots carry a massive secondary market value, typically averaging $150-$200 per game.
• Private Off-Campus Parking: By booking ahead using a marketplace, you can lock in driveways and private lots near Lane Ave for much less. Rates usually range from $6.99 to $15.00+ depending on how early you secure your spot.

If you hate the idea of circling campus looking for an open spot while the tailgating clocks tick down, your smartest move is to reserve guaranteed parking near Ohio Stadium in advance. It takes the stress completely out of your Saturday morning.

Ohio State vs Maryland Football Parking Prices and Public Lot Rates

Best Day-of-Game Public Parking Lots Near Ohio Stadium

Finding OSU public parking lots day of game requires strategy. You are competing with thousands of fans who do not have season parking passes. Columbus gameday parking options generally split the campus in half: the lots east of the Olentangy River (Main Campus) and the lots west of the Olentangy River (Agriculture/West Campus).

Ag Administration & Vivian Lots

For maximum convenience and the shortest walk, target the Ag Administration and Vivian lots. At $60, you are paying a premium, but you get premium placement. These lots put you right on the edge of the river. You simply walk across the bridge, and the Rotunda of Ohio Stadium is right in front of you. Because these are the best day of game public parking options near Ohio Stadium, they fill up aggressively fast. If you are not in line by 7:00 AM, you risk getting turned away.

Neil Ave Garage & Arps Garage

If you want to keep your car out of the sun (or rain) and want to be closer to the bars and restaurants on High Street before the game, the Neil Ave Garage and Arps Garage are fantastic options at $40. They put you right in the heart of the historic campus. The tradeoff here is the post-game exit. Driving out of a central campus garage means dealing with tens of thousands of pedestrians spilling into the streets. Exiting these garages can easily take 45 minutes to an hour after the final whistle.

Carmack Lots & The West Campus Method

To avoid the worst of the stadium gridlock, experienced locals head straight to the Carmack 1 lot on the far west side of SR 315. It costs $30, which saves you some money, but the real benefit is the free shuttle to Ohio Stadium from west campus. You park your car, hop on the free West Campus Football Shuttle, and it drops you at the John Herrick Drive Transit Hub. From the transit hub, it is a quick 8-minute walk to the stadium gates. After the game, getting back on SR 315 from West Campus is infinitely easier than trying to cross the river from main campus.

Crucial Towing Warning: Do not attempt to park in the SAFEAUTO Garage or the Wexner Medical Center Garage. These garages are heavily monitored and strictly restricted to hospital patients and hospital visitors. Gameday parkers caught in these facilities will be ticketed and towed at the owner's expense. The university does not mess around with hospital access. Also, remember the 11:59 PM Friday vacate rule: any transient vehicles parked in the West Lane Garage must leave by midnight Friday to make room for Saturday's gameday ADA parkers.

Gameday Logistics: Lot Opening Times & Tailgating Rules

Whether you are setting up a massive spread with televisions and tents or just cracking a few beers out of the trunk, you need to know the ground rules before you arrive. Ohio State has strictly codified how tailgating works on campus.

What Time Do Ohio State Football Parking Lots Open?

Day-of-game public football parking lots and garages open strictly at 5:00 AM, regardless of when kickoff is scheduled. If Ohio State and Maryland kick off at noon, the lots open at 5:00 AM. If it is an 8:00 PM prime-time blackout game, the lots still open at 5:00 AM. Arriving early is essential because season parking permit spaces are only guaranteed until 90 minutes prior to kickoff. After that cutoff, the university may start filling empty permit spaces with paying day-of-game customers.

Can I Tailgate in Public Parking Lots at Ohio State?

Yes, but you must follow exact spatial restrictions. Tailgating setups in day-of-game lots must strictly fit within an 8.5' x 15' space immediately behind or in front of your vehicle. You cannot sprawl into empty adjacent parking spaces, and you absolutely cannot save spots for friends arriving later. First come, first served. If your group is arriving in multiple cars, you must meet up off-campus and drive into the lot bumper-to-bumper to guarantee spaces next to each other.

Are Charcoal Grills Allowed at Ohio State Football Games?

No. Charcoal grills and open fire pits are strictly prohibited on campus. You cannot use them anywhere. You are, however, permitted to use liquid propane grills. The strict fire code requirement dictates that all liquid propane grills must be kept a minimum of 10 feet away from any structure, including buildings and your own vehicle.

Where to Park an RV for Ohio State Football

If you are rolling deep in an RV, your options are limited unless you planned months ago. RV parking is primarily located in the Gray and Buckeye lots near the Schottenstein Center. You cannot just show up in an RV and pay cash at the gate. These spots require advance season permits. If you want to secure an RV spot for the Maryland game, you will have to hunt on secondary ticket marketplaces, where these passes hold a value averaging $150 to $200 per game.

Ohio State Gameday Traffic Patterns & Road Closures to Avoid

The Horseshoe sits directly on the banks of the Olentangy River, which creates a natural bottleneck for 100,000 fans trying to leave at the exact same time. SR 315 runs parallel to the stadium and is the main artery in and out of the university area. Knowing the Ohio State football game day traffic patterns and road closures is what separates the veterans from the rookies sitting in two hours of gridlock.

The Major Road Closures

You cannot rely on standard GPS directions once you get close to campus.

• Cannon Drive Construction: Due to the Phase 2 Relocation project, Cannon Drive is completely restricted. Only West Stadium permit holders and official service vehicles are allowed through. Do not try to use Cannon Drive as a shortcut.
• Woody Hayes Drive: This major bridge crossing the river closes entirely between Tuttle Park Place and Cannon Drive exactly 4 hours prior to kickoff. It will not reopen until well after the game ends. If your parking plan requires crossing the river via Woody Hayes Drive, you must be parked at least four and a half hours before the game starts.

The Ackerman Road Trap

If you are looking for the best place to park for Ohio State football games to avoid traffic, rule number one is avoiding the Ackerman Road Trap. North of the Schottenstein Center, there are several large RV lots and day-of-game surface lots. Parking here seems great in the morning. However, when the game ends, all the RVs, all the Schottenstein Center traffic, and all the fans walking north converge on Ackerman Road to get to the SR 315 on-ramps. It is a known traffic disaster. You can easily sit in your car for over an hour just trying to move half a mile. Avoid parking in the immediate Ackerman Road footprint.

The Charity Hack: Fastest Post-Game Exit

Locals who want to get out of town fast use the ARC Industries lot located at 250 W. Dodridge St. It costs $20 to park, and 100% of the proceeds go to support the Special Olympics.

Here is why this is a genius move: it sits a mile and a half north of the stadium. You will have a 30-minute walk down the beautiful, paved Olentangy River Trail right to the stadium. When the game ends, you walk back up the trail, completely bypassing all vehicular traffic. Once you reach your car at ARC Industries, you are perfectly positioned to hop immediately onto SR 315 North or shoot straight across to I-71 without fighting a single campus traffic light. It is arguably the best post-game escape hack in Columbus. Alternatively, finding a residential spot via the event parking landing page in the north campus neighborhoods offers a similar quick-escape advantage.

Pro Tip for drivers: Text the word 'OSUFB' to 67283 on Saturday morning. This opts you into the university's live gameday dispatch system, sending live traffic, parking lot fill-status, and weather alerts directly to your phone.

Ohio Stadium ADA Parking & Accessible Shuttles

For fans with disabilities, navigating a campus built for 100,000 pedestrians requires knowing exactly how ADA parking works at Ohio Stadium. The university provides a dedicated infrastructure, but the rules are aggressively enforced to prevent abuse.

Where is the ADA Shuttle at Ohio Stadium?

Official Ohio Stadium ADA parking is concentrated in the St. John Arena Lot and the Lane Ave Garage. Parking here costs $30 per event (again, 100% cashless). From these locations, the university runs a dedicated ADA accessible shuttle fleet equipped with wheelchair lifts. This shuttle picks you up near St. John Arena and drops you directly at Gate 20/22 at Ohio Stadium. Post-game, the shuttle picks up at the same location to return you to your vehicle.

Strict ADA Permit Requirements

You cannot just pull up with a placard hanging from your rearview mirror and expect entry. The traffic attendants at the Lane Avenue checkpoints will audit your credentials.

1. You must present a valid, state-issued disability placard.
2. You must present the matching vehicle registration for that placard.
3. The person to whom the placard is registered must be physically present inside the vehicle.

If you do not meet all three criteria, you will be turned away and forced into standard gameday traffic.

Navigation Warning: Access to the North ADA parking areas (St. John Arena and Lane Ave Garage) must be executed via Lane Avenue. Because Woody Hayes Drive closes 4 hours prior to kickoff, and Cannon Drive is under heavy construction, you cannot access these ADA lots from the south. Program your GPS to bring you in on Lane Avenue from either High Street or SR 315.

If you do not have official state ADA placards but still want to minimize walking for elderly guests, your best option is to secure a private driveway immediately adjacent to the stadium footprint by visiting a dedicated Ohio State Buckeyes Football vs. University of Maryland Terrapins Football parking marketplace to lock in a close spot.

COTA Buses, Rideshare Zones & The Free Bike Valet

Not bringing a car to campus? Smart move, provided you understand the specific limitations of public transit and ridesharing around the Horseshoe.

How Do I Use the COTA Bus to Get to Ohio Stadium?

The Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) runs bus routes down High Street and Lane Avenue, which are heavily utilized by fans. Standard COTA buses cost $2 per ride (the ride is free for enrolled OSU students with a valid BuckID).

A highly effective strategy to beat traffic is to park for free at the Clintonville COTA park and ride located at the intersection of High St. and Morse Rd. You leave your car miles away from the stadium gridlock, pay $2, and take the bus straight down High Street to the Lane Avenue intersection.

Crucial Night Game Warning: COTA bus routes to Ohio Stadium game day are fantastic for noon or 3:30 PM kickoffs. However, if the Ohio State vs Maryland game is flexed to an evening prime-time slot, do not rely on COTA for your post-game ride. Standard COTA routes often end service between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM. If you are banking on a bus at midnight after a long game, you will be stranded.

(Note: Do not confuse COTA with CABS. Standard Campus Area Bus Service (CABS) free transit routes are suspended starting 6 hours before kickoff on home football Saturdays.)

Rideshare Pick-up & Drop-off Zones

You cannot order an Uber or Lyft to pick you up outside the stadium gates, nor can they drop you off on Lane Avenue. The university enforces a strict geo-fenced rideshare zone. All Uber and Lyft drop-offs and pick-ups must occur on Borror Drive, right next to the Schottenstein Center. Do not attempt to coordinate a pickup anywhere else; the app simply will not allow the driver to accept the ride or route to you. Expect heavy surge pricing and long wait times at the Borror Drive lot immediately following the game.

The Free Bike Valet

If you live in Columbus or are staying close enough to rent a scooter or bicycle, taking the Olentangy River Trail is the most stress-free way to arrive. To make this easier, the university sponsors a complimentary, volunteer-staffed Bike Valet. It operates much like a coat check for your bicycle.

The Bike Valet is located at the southeast corner of Woody Hayes Drive and the Olentangy River Trail. You ride up, hand them your bike, and receive a claim ticket. It is secure, monitored, and entirely free. If you prefer to lock your bike yourself, there are unmonitored free public bike racks located south of the stadium near the Recreation and Physical Activity Center (RPAC).

Whether you are navigating the west campus shuttles, splitting a rideshare with friends, or reserving your own slice of pavement ahead of time, having a solid plan is the key to enjoying a Saturday in Columbus. Lock down your strategy, respect the cashless rules, and enjoy the Buckeyes taking on the Terrapins in the Horseshoe.