ASU Game Day Guide: Tailgating, Parking, and Sun Devil Stadium

Game Day at ASU Is Worth Doing Right

Sun Devil Stadium is one of college football's more atmospheric venues, especially for night games in the fall when the Tempe heat has finally broken. The student section — the Inferno — is loud, committed, and positioned to make visiting teams uncomfortable. Here's how to actually experience game day, not just survive it.

Getting Tickets

Student tickets for ASU football are available through the ASU Ticket Office and are significantly cheaper than general admission. Sign up for the student ticket lottery at the start of the season — high-demand games (rivalry games, big conference matchups) often require lottery selection.

For regular season games, student tickets sometimes go unclaimed and you can grab them close to game day. Check the ASU tickets portal and the student Facebook/Discord groups.

Parking Reality

Driving to Sun Devil Stadium on game day is an exercise in patience. Parking lots fill up early — expect to pay and to walk. The university lots close to the stadium fill 2–3 hours before kickoff for big games.

Better options:

Light rail: The Valley Metro light rail stops near campus and is the actual move for game day. You'll park at a light rail station further out (free or cheap), ride in without traffic stress, and avoid the post-game lot nightmare. Highly recommended.
Ride share drop zones: Uber/Lyft have designated drop-off areas. Works fine but surge pricing will be high after night games.
Bike: If you live close, biking to the game and finding a secure spot is underrated.

Tailgating

The area around Sun Devil Stadium has tailgate zones in the lots and open areas. The culture is genuinely fun — grills, music, cornhole, the works.

For student tailgates:

Student organization tailgates are common for big games — check with your Greek chapter, club, or residential college if you're affiliated
Bring shade: Early-season games can be in the 90s even in the afternoon. A canopy or shade tent is not overdoing it
Coordinate on food: Someone always brings too many chips; someone always forgets cups. A quick group text coordination prevents the usual waste
Check ASU's tailgate policies — outside alcohol rules vary by lot and they do enforce them

What to Wear

Maroon and gold. Seriously — the visual effect of a stadium full of coordinated colors is part of the experience and you'll feel out of place if you show up in a random t-shirt. An ASU jersey or the classic maroon shirt works fine.

For hot weather games: wear the lightest maroon option you have. Bring sunscreen. Sit in the shade portions of the student section if that's possible for your ticket.

For night games in November and December: it gets cold. Bring a layer. Desert temperature swings are real — you can go from 75°F at 5pm to 52°F by 9pm.

The Student Section (The Inferno)

The Inferno is the designated student section and it's where the real game-day energy is. To get there:

Student tickets come with Inferno section access
Get there at least an hour before kickoff for good spots — the Inferno fills from the field up and the lower sections get very crowded
Know the chants and traditions — ASU has specific cheers and the student section enforces the fun. YouTube some ASU game day traditions before your first game

What to Bring

Water (stadium water is expensive; most venues allow sealed bottles in)
Your Sun Card for student ticket access
Phone fully charged (or a small power bank)
Ear protection if you're noise-sensitive — the Inferno can get very loud
Cash for parking if you drive

Post-Game on Mill

After a win, Mill Avenue has the energy you'd expect. It gets crowded quickly and the bars fill up. If you want to celebrate on Mill, pre-game your decision to be there — find your group, have a meeting point, and know that you might be there for a while.

For non-drinkers or those who don't want the bar scene, the area near Tempe Town Lake often has post-game spillover energy that's more casual.

Beyond Football

ASU has other sports worth attending and they're often more accessible:

Baseball at Packard Stadium — great atmosphere, cheap tickets, and ASU baseball is consistently good
Basketball at Desert Financial Arena — solid venue, student tickets available, easier to get good seats than football
Track and field, swimming — often free or very cheap, and genuinely exciting if you've never watched elite collegiate athletics live

The full ASU athletics calendar is on the Sun Devils website. Try a sport you've never watched live — you might be surprised.