Thursday, August 27, 2026
Namesake:McLane Stadium is named for Drayton McLane Jr. and his family, whose leadership gift helped Baylor build its $260 million on-campus football home. The stadium opened on the Brazos River in 2014.
Weather from Open-Meteo. Updates hourly.
Buy primary-market tickets through Baylor Athletics or use SeatGeek, Baylor's official resale partner. Colorado season ticket holders and Buff Club members can request away-game tickets through the CU ticket office. CU assigns those seats within its allotment by Buff Club priority.
This is Colorado's first game at McLane Stadium and its first trip to Waco since 2007. Baylor has designated it the Traditions Game and Big 12 opener. Kickoff is still TBD, so check the official Baylor schedule before making a fixed game-day plan.
Baylor uses mobile tickets. Open the Baylor Sports App or sign in to your Baylor ticket account from your phone, select the Colorado game and add every ticket to Apple Wallet or Google Wallet before leaving for the stadium. Screenshots do not scan.
One phone can hold multiple tickets when the group enters together. Transfer individual tickets before game day if anyone will arrive separately. A ticket saved in a phone wallet will still work if stadium cellular service is slow.
CU's delivered allotment had not been published as of August 27, 2026. Third-party seating references place regular visiting inventory in upper sections 314, 317, 319, 328 and 329, with some lower-level seats near 130 and 131. Treat the section on the delivered ticket as definitive.
Sections on the east and south sides receive substantial afternoon sun. The upper visitor areas also involve ramps, stairs and longer concourse walks, so allow time and contact the ticket office in advance for accessible seating.
Guests age 2 and older need a ticket. A child younger than 2 may sit on an adult's lap without a separate ticket.
Berm tickets are isolated from the reserved seating bowl. The berm has its own entrance, concessions and restrooms, and guests cannot move between the berm and reserved-seat concourses. Do not buy a berm ticket expecting to meet friends elsewhere inside.
McLane Lots 1 through 4, Gold Lot, Umphrey Law School, Ferrell Center, Dutton Garage and Speight Garage are primarily prepaid football lots. A limited number of single-game passes may be released through Baylor's ticket site. Use the lot code on the digital parking pass and Baylor's Waze links because game-day closures can make ordinary map routing unreliable.
The easiest no-pass option is the free Downtown Shuttle. Park in the Heritage Square area and board near 3rd Street and Austin Avenue. Service begins three hours before kickoff and continues until one hour after the game, with a drop near the northwest side of the stadium.
Free shuttles also serve the Ferrell Center and Speight Garage beginning two hours before kickoff. The BRIC ADA shuttle runs from 100 Research Parkway beginning four hours before kickoff. A valid placard is required, and a limited number of first-come spaces cost $25.
I-35 construction has reduced lanes south of downtown, and University Parks Drive closes between the law school and Bagby Avenue three hours before kickoff. Leave extra time and do not assume your usual route will stay open.
Waco does not have passenger rail service to the stadium. The Waco Transit Downtown Tailgater is the most useful game-day transit option. It is free, accessible and serves the Heritage Square area from three hours before kickoff until one hour after the game.
The Ferrell Center and Speight Garage shuttles drop at the I Believe Walkway near the law school. From Baylor's main campus, the Umphrey Pedestrian Bridge crosses the Brazos River directly to the stadium site.
Baylor does not publish a dedicated McLane Stadium rideshare zone. Use the Heritage Square shuttle stop near 3rd Street and Austin Avenue as the rideshare destination, then take the free Downtown Shuttle. For pickup, return downtown before requesting the car so the driver avoids stadium road closures.
Each guest may carry one clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bag no larger than 12" x 6" x 12", or one one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus one small clutch. Medically necessary items are allowed after inspection. Review the official policies page before traveling.
There is no reason to bring a full water bottle. Each guest may carry one clear, empty bottle up to 1 liter and fill it at a stadium fountain. Hydration backpacks, metal bottles and glass are prohibited.
Gate A is at the southwest corner, Gate B is on the north end, Gate C is on the east side and Gate D is at the southeast corner. Gates A and D use the South Plaza approach. Gate A is the only public entrance that is not ADA accessible.
Use the gate printed on your ticket. Gate B is convenient for upper visitor sections on the north side and is closest to the Downtown Shuttle arrival. Gate C is closest to the ticket center. Visiting-team pass list service is at the north end.
Public gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. Premium club, suite and loge entrances open 1 hour 45 minutes before kickoff. Security screening begins outside the gates, so arrive early enough to clear the line and be seated for pregame traditions.
The McLane Stadium Ticket Center is near Gate C. It opens three hours before kickoff and remains open through halftime. General will call, ticket resolution and mobile-ticket help are available there. Bring a photo ID if a ticket must be reissued.
Stands grouped by concourse area. Section numbers are approximate.
Restrooms are distributed across the 100- and 200-level concourses. Family restrooms are near sections 103, 114, 116 and 127 on the 100 level and 202, 212 and 219 on the 200 level. Family lounges are near sections 110, 120, 210 and 221.
Berm ticket holders use separate restrooms inside the berm area and cannot enter the reserved-seat concourses.
Baylor does not publish the current spectator Wi-Fi network name. Add tickets to a mobile wallet before leaving the hotel, save the group meeting point and do not depend on stadium data service for entry.
The air-conditioned Baby Bear Family Lounge is behind section 114 next to Guest Services. It has private nursing and pumping space, seating, outlets and a changing table. Additional lounges are on the fourth- and fifth-floor suite levels.
New for 2026, stroller parking is outside the scanned perimeter at Gate B and on the South Plaza after security screening. Gate C has no stroller parking. Strollers cannot be taken into the seating bowl.
Guests age 2 and older need tickets. Bottles, formula, breast milk, pumps and medically necessary child-care supplies are subject to security inspection.
Accessible seating and companion seating are available on every level. Public elevators are near Gates B and C, and the east ramp from Gate D serves the 100 and 200 levels. Gate A is the only non-ADA public entrance.
ADA parking is at the BRIC shuttle lot, 100 Research Parkway. A valid placard is required, and a limited number of $25 spaces are first come, first served. The shuttle drops near Gate C and runs from four hours before kickoff until one hour after the game.
For accessible seat exchanges, contact the Baylor ticket office at 254-710-1000 or Athletic_TicketOffice@baylor.edu before game day. Inventory is limited.
During the game, report or claim items at Guest Services on the main concourse near section 114. After the game, email CustomerService@McLaneStadium.com.
Parents can also register a child or family member at Guest Services and receive an identification wristband with the guardian's contact and seat information.
September in Waco can still feel like midsummer. Upper visitor sections on the east and south sides are exposed, so bring sunscreen, a hat and an empty clear water bottle. Umbrellas, chairbacks and seat cushions are prohibited.
The free Downtown Shuttle is a better default than improvising near I-35. Park or get dropped near Heritage Square, take the shuttle and allow time to walk from the northwest drop to your assigned gate.
Build the day around both fan events. Start at Buffs Bash, then leave enough margin to see Pat Green on Touchdown Alley and Baylor's Bear Walk before entering. Once kickoff is announced, set a firm departure time that gets you through security at least 30 minutes early.
The upper bowl requires more walking than the riverfront exterior suggests. If stairs or heat are a concern, approach from Gate B or C for elevator access and request an accessible seat exchange before game day.
Plate-size pancakes, omelets and coffee in a straightforward downtown breakfast stop.
The Gut Pak layers sausage, beans, chips and cheese into a Waco game-day classic.
Long-running Baylor gathering place, chicken-fried steak and the oversized Big O beer.
About 25 food and drink stalls: an easy answer for a group that cannot agree.
House beer, pizza and a relaxed taproom a few blocks from the shuttle area.
Oversized tacos and a drive-thru make this the useful late-night stop after the game.
Texas sports history and a Southwest Conference gallery across the river from McLane.
Historic badges, firearms and case files in the same venue hosting the Buffs Bash Social.
The original bottling plant traces the Waco-born soft drink and includes a fountain soda.
Indoor dig shelter preserves Columbian mammoth fossils exactly where crews found them.
Shops, gardens, food trucks and the landmark silos fill an easy downtown stop. Closed Sunday.
See Baylor's live American black bear mascots, Indy and Belle, in an accredited habitat.
Stadium info
Stadium details come from each athletic department’s official site, and we treat that information as accurate. Venues change bag policies, gate times, and parking maps between seasons, though, so things do drift. If you spot something out of date, or you have a tip that would help another Buffs fan, we want to hear it.
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