Tickets, parking, tailgating, the Cat Walk, gates, clear bags, chairbacks, concessions and everything else Big Blue Nation should know before heading to Kroger Field in 2026.
There aren't many fall Saturdays better than a Kentucky football game at Kroger Field. A little planning can make game day a whole lot easier. This guide will help you out whether you are a long time season ticket holder or it's your first time going to Kroger Field for a game.
There are some important changes and reminders for the 2026 Kentucky football season, including cashless concessions, parking changes, mobile-ticket requirements and updated tailgating rules.
So before you put on the blue and white and head toward Kroger Field, here's our KentuckyFans.com guide to just about everything you need to know.
🏈 Jump to What You Need
🏈 Kentucky's 2026 Home Schedule
Kentucky has seven games at Kroger Field this season, including three huge SEC home games against Alabama, LSU and Florida and the annual Governor's Cup battle with Louisville.
| Date | Opponent | Kickoff | Game Theme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 5 | Youngstown State | 1:00 PM | White Out |
| Sept. 12 | Alabama | 3:30 PM | Stripe Out |
| Sept. 26 | South Alabama | 12:45 PM | Blue/White Stadium Split |
| Oct. 10 | LSU | Night | Blue Out / Homecoming |
| Oct. 24 | Vanderbilt | Night | Blue Out |
| Nov. 14 | Florida | Night | Black Out / Night Ops |
| Nov. 28 | Louisville | 12:00 or 1:00 PM | Blue Out / Senior Day |
📱 Your Ticket Is on Your Phone — and Screenshots Won't Work
Kentucky has completely transitioned to mobile ticketing. There aren't traditional printed season-ticket books to carry into the stadium.
Tickets can be accessed through the UK Athletics App or through your UK Athletics ticket account on a mobile device.
One particularly important thing to know this season involves Ticketmaster SafeTix. The ticket barcode refreshes automatically, which means a screenshot or screen recording of your ticket will not get you into Kroger Field.
The same advice applies to mobile parking permits. If you have a reserved parking pass, have it pulled up and ready before approaching your lot.
🚗 Parking at Kroger Field
Parking is usually one of the biggest questions for anyone who doesn't attend Kentucky games regularly.
Most of the parking immediately surrounding Kroger Field is permit-controlled. UK Athletics specifically recommends following the prescribed route for your parking lot rather than simply entering "Kroger Field" into your GPS and hoping for the best.
Important Parking Changes for 2026
There are a couple of significant changes this season:
- Parking Structure 1 is unavailable.
- The Yellow/Red lot is unavailable.
- Farm Road is closed to vehicle and pedestrian traffic for the season.
Single-Game Reserved Parking
Reserved single-game parking is available in the William T. Young Library lots near Woodland Avenue and Columbia Avenue. UK Athletics lists the price at $50 per vehicle, with card payment required.
Those lots also have shuttle service to the stadium beginning three hours before kickoff.
🍔 Tailgating Around Kroger Field
Tailgating is a huge part of a Kentucky football Saturday, but there are rules to know before setting up.
Parking lots open at 8:00 AM on game day. Tailgating generally takes place behind your vehicle, with designated tailgating lines in the Blue, Green and Orange lots.
Among the most important rules:
- Permanent tailgating structures are prohibited.
- Pop-up tents are permitted subject to UK's size and placement requirements.
- Tents on green space generally cannot exceed 10 feet by 10 feet without approval.
- Drive lanes must remain clear for traffic and emergency vehicles.
- Generators require UK Athletics approval and must meet noise restrictions.
- Large commercial or industrial-style cooking equipment requires approval.
- Music should remain confined to your tailgate area.
- Live bands and DJs require advance approval from UK Athletics.
There are also season-long tagging requirements for some tents and trailers. Items that fall under the policy should be labeled with the owner's name, phone number and email address.
Cooper Drive Tailgating
For the non-permitted/visitor tailgating area along Cooper Drive, setups and vehicle parking can begin at noon on the Friday before game day.
😼 Don't Miss the Cat Walk
If you're going to arrive early anyway, one of the best Kentucky football traditions to work into your schedule is the Cat Walk.
The Cat Walk is scheduled to begin 2 hours and 15 minutes before kickoff.
It takes place outside Gate 1, with the route running between Kroger Field and the Joe Craft Football Training Facility toward Gate 12.
🚪 When Do the Kroger Field Gates Open?
Not every stadium gate opens at the same time.
Your mobile ticket will indicate the gate you should use. UK Athletics encourages fans to use that assigned gate.
And don't cut the timing too close. Lines tend to grow considerably immediately before kickoff.
A Special Warning About Gate 12
Gate 12 can experience extra congestion because of team movement between the football facility and Kroger Field. Fan movement in that area may be restricted during the team's pregame walk and again after the game.
There is also a temporary closure of the walkway between Gates 14 and 15 shortly before kickoff.
👜 Kroger Field Clear Bag Policy
This is probably the policy most likely to cause a headache if you forget about it.
Kroger Field follows the SEC clear-bag policy.
Each fan may bring:
- One clear bag no larger than 12" x 6" x 12", OR
- A one-gallon clear Ziploc-style bag, PLUS
- One small clutch measuring no more than 4.5" x 6.5".
Diaper bags do not receive a general exception. Baby supplies should be carried in a bag that complies with the clear-bag policy.
Fans bringing medically necessary equipment can use designated medical screening entrances at Gates 1.5, 3.5 and 9.5.
✅ What Can You Bring Into Kroger Field?
A few items fans frequently ask about are specifically permitted.
- One unopened bottle of water smaller than one liter
- Personal chairbacks no wider than 18 inches
- Clear bags meeting stadium size requirements
- Small collapsible strollers that fit under the seat or row
- Blankets and coats
- Umbrellas, although they cannot be opened in the seating area
Things You Should Leave at Home
Several commonly carried items aren't permitted inside Kroger Field, including:
- Outside food and beverages other than the permitted unopened water bottle
- Large bags
- Backpacks
- Drawstring bags
- Non-clear purses larger than the permitted clutch
- Coolers and ice chests
- Artificial noisemakers
- Laser pointers
- Selfie sticks and extension poles
- Inflatables
- Drones
- Pets other than qualifying service animals
💺 Yes — You Can Bring a Chairback
This is one of the questions we hear quite a bit, especially from fans sitting in traditional bleacher seating.
Personal chairbacks are allowed at Kroger Field as long as they're no more than 18 inches wide.
If you don't own one, game-day chairbacks can also be rented at the stadium for $15, subject to availability.
Chairback rentals begin when the gates open and are available on the lower concourse at Gates 1, 4 and 9 and on the upper concourse above those gates.
🌭 Kroger Field Is Primarily Cashless in 2026
One of the major changes for the 2026 season is that Kroger Field is now primarily cashless.
Concession stands and the UK Team Shop accept cards and supported mobile-wallet payments, including Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay.
UK Athletics also says specialty concessions and Kentucky Proud items will be available around Kroger Field.
Food trucks will operate outside Gate 4 in Chevy Park. Keep in mind that food or drinks purchased from those trucks cannot then be carried into Kroger Field.
👨👩👧 Taking Kids to a Kentucky Football Game
Kroger Field has several useful family amenities that are good to know about ahead of time.
Children Still Need Tickets
Everyone entering Kroger Field needs a ticket regardless of age.
For infants 12 months old and younger, UK offers a $15 game-day lap ticket. These tickets are available at the Kroger Field Ticket Office between Gates 9 and 10 and are valid for regular-season home football games.
Strollers
Small collapsible strollers are permitted as long as they can fit underneath a stadium seat or row without blocking the aisle. Strollers are subject to security inspection.
Family Restrooms
Family restrooms are available:
- Lower concourse near Sections 4 and 24
- Upper concourse near Sections 20, 40, 204 and 224
Diaper-changing stations are available in public and family restrooms.
Nursing Mother's Suite
A nursing mother's suite is available on the lower north concourse near Section 3 and includes seating, a sink, refrigerator and television.
Lost-Child Wristbands
Guest Services offers wristbands parents can use to write their contact and seating information in case a child becomes separated from the family.
That's an easy thing to do when you arrive and could save a tremendous amount of stress later.
🚌 Shuttle Options
If you're not parking directly around the stadium, Lextran's UK Football Express can be an inexpensive way to get to Kroger Field.
UK lists both a Virginia Avenue route and a Downtown route.
The service begins approximately three hours before kickoff. UK lists the fare at $1 each way and asks riders to have exact change.
Downtown Shuttle
Downtown pickup locations include the area around High Street, the Lextran Transit Center and the Woodland/High/Maxwell area.
Postgame shuttle service begins during the fourth quarter and continues for approximately one hour after the game.
🎟️ Kroger Field Ticket Office
If something goes wrong with your tickets on game day, the main Kroger Field Ticket Office is located between Gates 9 and 10.
Game-day ticket windows open four hours before kickoff and remain open through halftime.
This location handles ticket problems, sales and will call.
🚫 Don't Plan on Leaving and Coming Back
Kroger Field follows the SEC's no re-entry policy.
Once you scan your ticket and enter the stadium, you cannot leave Kroger Field and later re-enter on that same ticket.
🚑 First Aid and Guest Services
There are four first-aid locations inside Kroger Field:
- North lower concourse near Section 9
- South lower concourse near Section 22
- East upper concourse near the Gate 16 elevator
- West upper concourse near the Gate 8 elevator
Guest Services locations can also be found outside Gates 1, 4, 9 and 12 and at several corresponding locations inside the stadium.
If you encounter a problem during the game, UK Athletics also offers its Game Day Assistance text service. Send:
to 69050
💙 KentuckyFans.com's Game Day Checklist
If you're making a trip to Kroger Field this season, here's the short version we would save on your phone:
🏟️ The Best Advice: Get There Early and Enjoy Game Day
There are plenty of rules and logistics involved in getting 60,000-plus Kentucky fans into one place, but a trip to Kroger Field shouldn't feel complicated.
The easiest strategy is simple: prepare your phone before leaving home, understand where you're parking, arrive several hours before kickoff and enjoy the entire game-day experience instead of racing the clock.
Tailgate for a while. Walk around the stadium. Catch the Cat Walk. Visit Chevy Park. Find your gate early. Then get inside with plenty of time to find your seats and watch Kroger Field fill with blue and white.
And when the Cats come out of the tunnel?
Be loud.
That's one part of the Kroger Field game-day experience that hasn't changed.