There is no parking lot on the corner outside Yulman Stadium. There is no stadium garage, no overflow field five minutes away, no rideshare queue that clears in ten minutes after the final whistle. What there is: a tight Uptown residential neighborhood, a campus that closes Ben Weiner Drive to all through traffic on game days, and 30,000 fans trying to get in and out of a stadium tucked behind Tulane University's Uptown campus.
Every Green Wave home Saturday, the same question lands on every group coordinator's desk: how does the bus actually get us there, and where does it wait while we're inside?
The short answer is Freret Street at the Devlin Fieldhouse — and that single detail is what separates a smooth Tulane game day from a scramble across the Uptown streets. Below, you'll find exactly how a New Orleans charter bus or party bus rental handles the Yulman Stadium run — the verified drop-off location, the road closures that shape every approach, the parking situation for everyone who drives, and everything else you need to line up a clean game-day trip. For the full picture of Green Wave fan group transportation in New Orleans, see the New Orleans sporting event transportation page.
Why Rent a Party Bus or Charter Bus to Tulane's Yulman Stadium?
Yulman Stadium sits deep inside Tulane University's Uptown campus, about 3.5 miles from the French Quarter and surrounded by residential streets that weren't built for game-day traffic. There is no parking structure within walking distance of the gates that stays open to the general public on game day. Ben Weiner Drive — the main road that leads directly to the stadium — is closed to all vehicular through traffic all day on game days, and Audubon Boulevard between Claiborne and Willow closes six hours before kickoff.
Three hours out, Willow Street between Calhoun and Audubon goes restricted to digital pass holders only. That's a lot of road closures to navigate before you've even found a spot.
For groups driving independently, the math gets painful fast. Day-of drive-up parking lands you at the Ursuline Academy Lot or the Loyola University garages on Freret Street — both at $25 per vehicle, cashless only — and then you're waiting for a shuttle bus to bring you to the stadium, if a shuttle runs from your lot at all. (The Loyola garages have no fan convenience shuttle service.)
A New Orleans party bus rental or charter bus cuts all of that out. Your group arrives together, gets dropped at the verified loading zone, and the bus handles the rest while you're inside the stadium. Nobody draws straws for who has to stay sober and navigate the Uptown street grid after the game.
Charter Bus and Party Bus Drop-Off at Yulman Stadium
The designated charter bus loading zone at Yulman Stadium is Freret Street at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse — that's the drop-off and staging point for private hired buses bringing fan groups to the stadium, per Tulane's published game-day transportation guidance. Freret Street is a main Uptown corridor that large buses can access, and the Devlin Fieldhouse sits at the eastern edge of the Tulane athletic complex, a short walk from Yulman Stadium's gates. This is where a 40-56 passenger charter bus or minibus drops your group and returns to pick you up post-game.
The fan convenience shuttles that run from Tulane's off-campus satellite parking lots use a separate zone: the Claiborne Avenue/Ben Weiner Drive intersection (Stadium Hub), where shuttles stop before and after games. That's the drop-off hub for the university's own free shuttle buses, not the designated point for private charter groups. Knowing the difference matters, because the approach roads and staging logistics are different for each.
Always confirm your specific drop-off window and staging location with the transportation company when you book — Tulane's event team adjusts logistics game to game, and the official Gameday Parking page is the first place to check before every home Saturday.
Yulman Stadium Gameday Road Closures and How They Shape Every Approach
The road closure plan around Yulman Stadium is the piece that surprises first-timers the most. Per Tulane's published game-day logistics, Ben Weiner Drive between Claiborne Avenue and Janet Yulman Way is closed to all vehicular through traffic all day on game days — no exceptions, no late access. Audubon Boulevard between Claiborne Avenue and Willow Street closes six hours before kickoff for all home games.
Willow Street between Calhoun Street and Audubon Street goes restricted to Diboll Garage, Oak Lot, and Tailgate Village digital pass holders only, beginning three hours before kickoff.
Meridian vehicular barriers go up around the closed roads for security, so there's no threading through a side street to avoid them. The practical upshot: most vehicle access to the stadium core comes through Freret Street and S. Claiborne Avenue, both of which remain open on game days. That's the same corridor the charter bus loading zone sits on — Freret Street at the Devlin Fieldhouse.
It's also worth knowing that Tulane's athletic offices have flagged ongoing Sewerage & Water Board roadwork on Claiborne Avenue between Broadway Street and Audubon Boulevard; fans heading in from the west on Carrollton are encouraged to use an alternate route on game days. Check the Gameday Central page before each home Saturday for current road advisories specific to that week's game.
Ben Weiner Drive is closed all day on game days — not just around kickoff, but the entire day. That single closure reshapes how every vehicle approaches the stadium, and it's the main reason large groups arriving by charter bus or party bus stage on Freret Street at the Devlin Fieldhouse rather than pulling up to the stadium's front entrance.
Yulman Stadium Parking: What Happens If You Drive
If driving is the plan for your group, here's what you're working with. Drive-up day-of-game parking is available at two locations: the Ursuline Academy Lot (enter from Nashville Ave.) and the Loyola University garages on Freret Street. Both run $25 per vehicle, cashless only — credit or debit, no cash accepted.
That's per vehicle, not per person, so the more people you can fit in each car, the better the per-head math. But if you're moving 20, 30, or 40 people, that's multiple cars and multiple $25 passes, plus gas and the coordination headache of keeping everyone together across separate arrival times.
Here's the catch that catches most groups: there is no fan convenience shuttle service from the Loyola University garages. If you park at Loyola, you walk. The shuttle stops that do run serve the following locations — the Claiborne Ave./Ben Weiner Drive Stadium Hub, the Tailgate Village lot (Newcomb Place at Newcomb Circle), the St. Rita Lot (Broad Place outside the lot's main entrance), and the Ursuline Lot (with stops at the ADA entrance off Claiborne, the ADA exit off Nashville, and the main exit off Willow).
All shuttle stops are marked with a feather flag. No fan convenience shuttles operate on Ben Weiner Drive itself — for safety and security reasons, they drop at the Claiborne/Ben Weiner hub and fans walk from there.
The Diboll Parking Garage, which sits on campus, is restricted to resident students and football gameday digital pass holders on game days and is not available for general public day-of purchase. For groups considering pre-purchased digital passes in the Diboll Garage, Oak Lot, or Tailgate Village, those passes must be arranged well in advance through Tulane's athletics ticketing — they're not available at the gate. One bus, one Freret Street drop-off, and a pre-arranged post-game pickup solves the whole parking problem in a single step.
Getting to Yulman Stadium by Charter Bus or Party Bus: Routes and Drive Times
Yulman Stadium is in Uptown New Orleans, which puts it close for groups leaving from the city and very accessible from the metro suburbs via Interstate 10. Here are the approximate distances and off-peak drive times from common group origins:
| From… | Approx. distance | Typical drive time (off-peak) |
|---|---|---|
| French Quarter / Downtown New Orleans | ~3–4 miles | 10–20 minutes |
| Metairie | ~8 miles | 15–25 minutes |
| Kenner / MSY Airport area | ~13–16 miles | 20–30 minutes |
| Baton Rouge | ~80 miles | 1 hour 20–40 minutes |
| Gulfport / West Gulfport, MS | ~79 miles | 1 hour 30–45 minutes |
All of those times stretch on game-day Saturdays as traffic builds around the Uptown neighborhood in the hours before kickoff. Baton Rouge groups on I-10 East and Mississippi groups on I-10 West both funnel into the same interchange around the Carrollton/Airline exit — the last major off-ramp before the stadium. Tulane's published directions for groups arriving from the west (Kenner, Baton Rouge, the airport area) route traffic down South Carrollton Avenue to South Claiborne Avenue, staying on that corridor to approach the stadium from the south.
A charter bus handles that run without your group ever touching a steering wheel.
For Gulfport and West Gulfport groups making the trip into New Orleans, the run is nearly the same distance as Baton Rouge — around 79 miles west on I-10 — and the same Carrollton/Airline approach applies once you hit the city. One bus rental in New Orleans handles the full round trip, so nobody in your Mississippi group is managing an unfamiliar city's street grid after the game. That's a task nobody volunteers for after an overtime thriller.
Yulman Stadium Transportation: Charter Bus vs. Every Other Option
Yulman Stadium has fewer transit options than you might expect for a major college football venue in a city known for public transportation. Here's an honest look at how the options stack up:
| Option | Cost shape | Arrive together? | Drop-off | Best group size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private charter bus or party bus | One flat rate, split across the group | Yes — everyone on one vehicle | Best — Freret Street at Devlin Fieldhouse | 15–56 |
| Drive and park (Ursuline / Loyola) | $25 per car + gas per car | No — multiple cars, multiple arrival times | Ursuline lot or Loyola garage, then walk or shuttle | 1–4 per car |
| Tulane fan convenience shuttle | Free shuttle (parking still $25 per car) | Only if everyone parks at same lot | Claiborne/Ben Weiner Stadium Hub, then walk to gate | Small groups, 1–2 cars |
| St. Charles Streetcar | $1.25 per person each way | Not reliably — capacity limited, game-day crowds | Tulane/Newcomb stop, then walk to gates | 1–6 people max |
| Rideshare (Uber / Lyft) | Per car each way + post-game surge | No — multiple pickups, multiple arrivals | Street drop near campus, then walk | 1–4 per car |
For two or three people with a car already on the road, the St. Charles Streetcar is a solid option — $1.25 each way from Canal Street to the Tulane/Newcomb stop, no parking, no surge. But the moment your group grows past a couple of cars' worth of people, the coordination cost of separate vehicles — scattered arrival times, $25 passes for each car, and the walk from the Loyola garages with no shuttle — tips the math decisively toward one bus. That's the group the rest of this guide is written for.
What Size Charter Bus or Party Bus Does Your Yulman Stadium Group Need?
Yulman Stadium runs fit every group size, and the right vehicle comes down to headcount plus how much tailgate gear you're hauling. Here is how the full vehicle lineup breaks down for a Green Wave game-day run:
| Vehicle | Typical seats | Luggage / gear | Best for | Key amenities |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van / 14-passenger Sprinter limo | Up to 14 | Modest — bags and a cooler | Small groups, VIP groups, suite holders | Premium leather, USB charging, tinted windows |
| Party bus (15–50 passengers) | ~15–50 | Onboard, lighter | Fan groups who want the rolling pregame | LED lighting, premium sound, flat-panel TVs, perimeter seating |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | ~15–35 | Overhead + some underfloor | Mid-size groups, family sections, alumni groups | Powerful A/C, plush reclining seats, greater maneuverability for Uptown streets |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Excellent — deep undercarriage bays | Large fan groups, season-ticket holder blocks, corporate outings | Reclining seats, climate control, overhead storage, WiFi, power outlets, onboard restrooms, undercarriage bays |
The minibus earns its keep specifically for Yulman Stadium runs — its smaller footprint handles Uptown's tighter residential streets more easily than a full 45-foot coach, making the Freret Street approach and staging more manageable. For larger groups of 35 or more, the full charter bus is the right call, with deep undercarriage bays that hold tailgate gear — coolers, folding chairs, and everything else you want at the Berger Family Lawn — and onboard restrooms that make the long hauls from Baton Rouge or Gulfport much more comfortable. ADA-accessible vehicles are available through the network; just note your needs in the quote request.
What a Yulman Stadium Party Bus Rental Costs
There's no single sticker number for a New Orleans party bus or charter bus rental to Yulman Stadium, because the quote is shaped by a handful of clear factors: the vehicle size, the total hours reserved (including tailgate time and post-game staging), the day and kickoff time, and the pickup location. To give you a planning idea — a minibus rental in New Orleans typically runs $200–$275 per hour on weekdays and $200–$275 per hour on weekends, while a full-size charter bus generally ranges from $200–$350 per hour. A 30-passenger party bus for a Saturday game might come to $325–$425 per hour on weekends.
Those are planning ranges — real pricing for your specific date and headcount comes from the quote form or a call to 504-264-9429.
Split a 56-seat charter bus across 40 people for a six-hour Baton Rouge round trip and the per-head cost often lands below what each person would spend on gas and a $25 parking pass — plus everyone actually gets to enjoy the ride instead of white-knuckling I-10 at 70 mph. Check the New Orleans party bus prices page for the full breakdown by vehicle, or call 504-264-9429 any time for a free, no-obligation quote in under 30 seconds.
A sample run, to give you a sense of the math: a 30-person alumni group books a 30-passenger party bus for a 3 p.m. kickoff at Yulman Stadium. Pickup from the Bywater at 12:30 p.m., Freret Street loading zone drop-off by 1:15 p.m., post-game staging for a 6:30 p.m. pickup. Five and a half hours total.
At a weekend rate of $325–$425/hour, the whole run might come to $1,800–$2,300 — roughly $60–$77 per person, with no one paying $25 for parking, no one walking from the Loyola garages, and no surge-priced rideshare back to the Bywater after the game.
Tailgating at Yulman Stadium: What Your Bus Group Needs to Know
The designated tailgating area at Yulman Stadium is the Berger Family Lawn in Tailgate Village, located at Newcomb Place at Newcomb Circle on the Tulane campus. Tailgating begins four hours before kickoff and ends 30 minutes before kickoff — weeknight games have separate windows, so check the Gameday Central page for specific times. University policy, city ordinances, and state law are all enforced throughout Tailgate Village, and cleanup is required before heading into the stadium.
For the complete tailgating policy, see Tulane's tailgating guidelines page.
The bus works perfectly with this setup: your group stages at the Freret Street loading zone, walks to Tailgate Village for the pregame, and the bus handles post-game pickup at an agreed window after the gates clear. One timing note — if your group arrives four hours early to catch the full tailgate window, build that time into the bus booking. The vehicle is reserved by the hour, so a 4-hour tailgate plus game time plus post-game staging means reserving enough hours to cover the whole block.
That's a detail to square away when you request your quote, and it keeps the pick-up window clean.
Yulman Stadium Entry: Clear Bag Policy, Gates, and What to Expect
Yulman Stadium uses a strict clear bag policy for all ticketed events. Each guest may bring one clear plastic bag no larger than 12″ × 12″ × 6″, or a 1-gallon resealable plastic storage bag, or a small clutch purse no larger than 4.5″ × 6.5″. Large bags, backpacks, camera equipment, and drones are prohibited.
Medical bags and diaper bags are allowed with inspection. Outside food and drinks — including anything you might have packed for the tailgate — are not permitted past the gates.
Gates open 90 minutes before kickoff. Metal detectors are in place at all Yulman Stadium entrances. If anyone in your group gets separated or needs guest services, Yulman Stadium's main contact is (504) 861-9283 (Tulane Athletics ticket office).
One last tip for groups coming in from Baton Rouge or Gulfport who want to stretch before gates open: the Tailgate Village area opens four hours before kickoff, so arriving at the Freret Street loading zone in that window gives your group time to settle in before the gates even open.
2026 Tulane Green Wave Home Football Schedule at Yulman Stadium
The 2026 Green Wave season features six home games at Yulman Stadium, all on Saturdays — the first full all-Saturday home slate since 2017, per Tulane Athletics. The 2026 home schedule:
- September 12: South Alabama
- September 26: Southern Miss (Hall of Fame game)
- October 16: Memphis (American Athletic Conference)
- October 24: UTSA (American Athletic Conference)
- November 7: Tulsa (Homecoming — American Athletic Conference)
- November 21: North Texas (American Athletic Conference)
Homecoming on November 7 against Tulsa draws the biggest alumni bus groups of the season — plan on booking 6 to 8 weeks out for that date, and earlier if you're coming in from Baton Rouge or the Mississippi Gulf Coast where the round-trip window makes coordinating multiple cars impossible. The North Texas game on November 21 closes out the regular season and is a rematch of the 2025 American Conference Championship game that Tulane won at the same venue — expect above-average demand for that final home Saturday. For current kickoff times and broadcast info, check the official 2026 Tulane football schedule.
Frequently Asked Questions About Renting a Bus to Yulman Stadium
Where does a charter bus or party bus drop off at Yulman Stadium?
The designated charter bus loading zone at Yulman Stadium is Freret Street at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse — that's the verified drop-off and staging location for private hired buses, per Tulane's published game-day transportation guidance. The fan convenience shuttle drop-off (for Tulane's own free shuttle service from satellite parking lots) is at the Claiborne Avenue/Ben Weiner Drive Stadium Hub. These are two separate zones.
Confirm your exact staging plan with the transportation company at booking — Tulane adjusts logistics event to event, and the Gameday Parking page has the most current information for each home game.
How far is Yulman Stadium from downtown New Orleans?
Yulman Stadium is about 3.5 miles from the French Quarter — roughly a 10-to-20-minute drive off-peak, longer on game-day Saturdays as traffic builds around the Uptown campus. The St. Charles Streetcar (Tulane/Newcomb stop) is the public transit option most visitors know about, but for groups larger than 4 or 5, coordinating multiple streetcar trips is impractical. One bus from the French Quarter handles the whole group in one shot.
Is Ben Weiner Drive open on game days?
No. Ben Weiner Drive between Claiborne Avenue and Janet Yulman Way is closed to all vehicular through traffic all day on game days. Meridian vehicular barriers are placed on the closed roads surrounding the stadium for security. This is why private charter buses stage on Freret Street at the Devlin Fieldhouse rather than pulling directly up to the stadium's front entrance.
What parking is available at Yulman Stadium for people who drive?
Day-of drive-up parking is at two locations: the Ursuline Academy Lot (enter off Nashville Ave.) and the Loyola University garages on Freret Street. Both charge $25 per vehicle, cashless only. The Ursuline Lot has fan shuttle service to the Stadium Hub; the Loyola garages do not.
The Diboll Parking Garage and Oak Lot require pre-purchased digital passes and are not available for general day-of purchase.
How much does it cost to rent a party bus or charter bus to Yulman Stadium?
Pricing depends on vehicle size, total hours (including tailgate time and post-game staging), the game date, and your pickup location. Planning ranges for New Orleans rentals: minibuses typically run $200–$275 per hour, charter buses $200–$350 per hour, and party buses in the 25-to-30-passenger range around $275–$425 per hour on weekends. The fastest way to get exact pricing for your specific date is to fill out the online quote form or call 504-264-9429 — quotes come back in under 30 seconds, no account required.
How far in advance should I book a bus to Yulman Stadium?
For regular home games, 3 to 6 weeks of lead time is workable for most vehicle sizes. Homecoming (November 7, 2026 vs. Tulsa) and the season finale (November 21 vs. North Texas) are the two dates where demand runs highest — book those 6 to 8 weeks out, especially if you're coordinating a large group from Baton Rouge or the Gulf Coast. The earlier you lock in the vehicle and the staging window, the more options you have on both vehicle type and pickup flexibility.
What is the clear bag policy at Yulman Stadium?
One clear plastic bag no larger than 12″ × 12″ × 6″, or a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag, or a small clutch no larger than 4.5″ × 6.5″ per person. No backpacks, large bags, camera equipment, or drones. Medical and diaper bags are allowed with inspection.
Outside food and drinks are not permitted inside the stadium. Metal detectors are in place at all entrances.
Can a party bus or charter bus go from Baton Rouge or Gulfport to Yulman Stadium?
Absolutely. Out-of-town group trips are some of the most common Yulman Stadium bus runs — Baton Rouge is about 80 miles on I-10 East (roughly an hour and 20 minutes off-peak), and Gulfport is about 79 miles west on I-10 (around an hour and 30 to 45 minutes off-peak). A Baton Rouge party bus rental or a bus from Gulfport or West Gulfport picks up your group at one point, makes the I-10 run, drops at the Freret Street loading zone, and picks back up after the game — no one in your group has to navigate New Orleans traffic after dark on an unfamiliar night.
Request Your Yulman Stadium Charter Bus or Party Bus Quote Today
The right bus for your Tulane game day is one quick form away. Whether it's a 15-passenger minibus for a tight alumni group coming from Metairie, a 40-passenger party bus for a fan group rolling in from Baton Rouge, or a full 56-seat charter bus for a corporate outing at the Uptown campus — Neworleanspartybus.net makes it easy to compare vehicle options, check pricing, and find what fits your group and your game-day timeline. Fill out the online quote form to see options and pricing in under 30 seconds, or call 504-264-9429 any time for a free quote at no obligation.
A support team is standing by every day of the year.
Also planning a New Orleans Saints game or a big concert after the football season wraps up? The Caesars Superdome transportation guide and the Smoothie King Center guide cover those venues in the same depth — verified drop-off points, road closures, and every parking detail first-timers need to know.
