Almost every Saturday in the fall, campus hums with activity as people from all over drive in to tailgate and cheer the Tigers on.
Several parking options are available to fans this weekend depending on how close to Tiger Stadium they want to park and how much they’re willing to pay.
Adam Smith, Athletic Department parking manager, said about 7,800 parking spaces near the stadium are reserved for people with season permits. Smith said the permits cost about $400 to $500 per season, and there is a waiting list to get a space every year.
Some areas will be closed for part of Saturday morning.
Gary Graham, director of the Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation, said the parking areas in front of the Parade Ground and the Memorial Tower will be closed early Saturday morning because of LSU Salutes, a ceremony that recognizes and honors those who have served with distinction in the Armed Forces.
Graham said those areas will be available for parking once the ceremony ends around 9 a.m.
Graham said the office tends not to ticket or tow on game days, with the exception of those parked in reserved spaces without permits.
He said the early kickoff time will help alleviate some of the traffic problems on campus.
“We’re not going to have an all-day party,” he said. “It’s going to be intense, but it’s going to be short.”
Traffic is a big issue on game days, and more popular games lead to worse traffic problems, Graham said.
Graham said people should try to arrive early to avoid the mid-morning rush of traffic. He said those looking to stay clear of traffic after the game should wait an hour or two for congestion to clear before driving anywhere.
People who don’t get to campus early enough to score a free spot can pay to park at several locations off campus.
Angelle Delaune, owner of Amies Boutique on Burbank Drive, said she and other business owners in the area charge money to park in front of their stores on game days.
Delaune said this is the first football season the businesses have charged for parking, and no one has had any problem with it so far.
Delaune said it costs $20 to park in front of the businesses, and they sell more than 100 spaces each Saturday.
Delaune said she and the business owners of Hello Sushi, Quiznos, Qdoba, The Princeton Review and Coldstone Creamery asked their landlord for permission to sell spaces because they felt they were losing business when people parked in front of the stores for free.
She said they were also concerned about safety.
“It was chaos,” Delaune said. “People were constantly fighting for spots.”
Delaune said now the parking lot is more calm, and she has found that people feel more safe parking there.
“People barbecue, they pull their tents out,” Delaune said. “People tailgate here.”
 
 
 
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Contact Rachel Warren at [email protected]