Try to drive to a Tulane Green Wave football game at Yulman Stadium without a plan, and the Uptown New Orleans campus grid will sort you out quickly. Per Tulane's published gameday policies, Ben Weiner Drive, Janet Yulman Way, and Audubon Boulevard are all restricted to pedestrians prior to, during, and after every home game. Willow Street — the only vehicular route in toward Diboll Garage and the Tailgate Village — locks down to pass holders only starting three hours before kickoff.
And if you're parking off-campus at Loyola University's Freret Street or West Road garages, you're looking at $25 per vehicle, cashless only, with zero shuttle service to the stadium. So you're walking. Meanwhile, NOPD enforces forced directional exits on most parking lots after the game, turning the surrounding Uptown streets into a slow crawl while 30,000 people filter out at once.
A New Orleans charter bus or party bus rental routes around almost all of it. Tulane's official Gameday Central page designates the charter bus loading zone on Freret Street at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse — on the Freret Street side of campus, accessible on gamedays without crossing the closed interior roads. Your group unloads there, walks across campus to Benson Field, and the bus stages nearby for the ride home.
For groups coming from the French Quarter, the Central Business District, Mid-City, or anywhere east of Claiborne, a New Orleans sporting event bus rental is the straightest line between your hotel and your seat. This guide covers everything that matters: the drop-off zone, the road closure picture, the tailgating rules, the approach routes, and which vehicle fits your group.
Why Rent a Party Bus or Charter Bus to Yulman Stadium?
Renting a bus to Yulman Stadium solves a specific and very real problem: the Tulane campus road network is not built for large numbers of cars on gameday, and it doesn't pretend to be. Only fans with pre-purchased digital parking passes are allowed on campus after 4 p.m. for evening games — that means no day-of drive-up campus parking, full stop. The Diboll Garage and Tailgate Village lots are season-pass-only.
The Ursuline Academy lot is ADA-designated. The Claiborne Lot has been offline since the 2025 season due to construction of Tulane's enclosed practice facility. And the off-campus Loyola garages, while walk-up accessible at $25, leave your group on Freret Street or West Road with no shuttle and a meaningful walk to the stadium gates.
One New Orleans charter bus rental replaces the whole logistical pile. Instead of coordinating seven cars across three separate parking situations, your entire group rides from one pickup point — your hotel, your tailgate pre-game spot, the airport — and gets dropped at the Freret Street loading zone steps inside campus. The bus waits while your group is inside, and the ride home is already handled when the final whistle blows.
Per person, once you split the cost across 30 or 40 people, a bus often runs cheaper than the combination of Loyola Garage passes and rideshare surge pricing after the game — and everyone stays together from the first play to the last call at a Magazine Street bar on the way back.
| Option | Cost shape | Arrive together? | Drop-off point | Post-game out | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charter bus or party bus rental | One flat rate, split by group | Yes — one vehicle, one arrival | Freret St. at Devlin Fieldhouse | Bus stages nearby, ride home included | Groups of 15–56 |
| Pre-purchased campus pass (drive in) | Pass cost + gas per car | Only if everyone buys the same lot | Varies by lot — some distant from gates | Forced directional exit by NOPD; crawl | Small groups (1–2 cars) |
| Loyola Garage (off-campus, walk-up) | $25/vehicle, cashless only | No — multiple cars, multiple arrivals | Freret St. or West Rd. — then walk | Same walk back, same exit crawl | 1–2 cars, small groups |
| Rideshare (Uber / Lyft) | Per car each way + post-game surge | No — multiple cars, split ETAs | Eastbound Claiborne shoulder, Ben Weiner to Calhoun | Surge pricing; wait for pickup on same shoulder | 1–4 per car |
| St. Charles streetcar + walk | Per fare, one-way | Only if you board together | Streetcar stop — then ~24-min walk to stadium | Same walk back; streetcar waits for no one | Solo fans or pairs |
For one or two people, the streetcar or a rideshare is perfectly reasonable — nobody is chartering a bus for a pair. But once your group grows past a few cars' worth of people, the coordination math tips hard in favor of one bus. Separate pickups, separate park-and-walk, separate post-game exits — all of it disappears when everyone is on the same vehicle.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at Yulman Stadium
The designated charter bus loading zone for Yulman Stadium games is on Freret Street at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse, per Tulane's official Gameday Central page. Freret Street runs along the west side of Tulane's Uptown campus, making it one of the few campus-adjacent streets that remains accessible to oversize vehicles on gamedays — unlike the interior campus roads that go pedestrian-only. Your group unloads at the Devlin Fieldhouse and walks east across campus to Benson Field at Yulman Stadium, which takes roughly 8–12 minutes on foot through the Tulane campus.
We always recommend checking the official Gameday Central page before each game day, since access details can shift by event — but Freret Street has been Tulane's designated bus drop point for multiple seasons.
Charter bus drop-off is on Freret Street at the Devlin Fieldhouse, per Tulane's official Gameday Central page — on the west side of campus where oversize vehicles can access without crossing the closed interior roads. Verify the current approach on the official page before each game; access details update seasonally.
How the Campus Road Closures Change the Approach
The Tulane campus effectively becomes a walking district on gamedays. Ben Weiner Drive between Claiborne Avenue and Janet Yulman Way is closed to all vehicular through traffic all day on every game day — not just during the game. Janet Yulman Way and Audubon Boulevard are restricted to pedestrians prior to, during, and after the game.
For major events like the American Conference Championship, Janet Yulman Way closes the evening before the game — the December 5, 2025 championship game, for example, saw that closure take effect Thursday night at 10 p.m., per Tulane's campus services bulletin.
This means the standard nav-app route from downtown — which often points you straight down Ben Weiner Drive toward the stadium — is a closed road by the time most fans arrive. Willow Street between Calhoun and Audubon is restricted to Diboll Garage, Oak Lot, and Tailgate Village pass holders only, beginning three hours before kickoff. If you are driving individually, the only walk-up day-of option is the Loyola University garages on Freret Street or West Road — and there is no shuttle from those lots.
After the game, NOPD runs forced directional exits from most parking lots to push traffic out, which means the surrounding blocks of Uptown take a while to clear. A charter bus stages nearby and moves as soon as your group is out — it does not wait in the same lot queue as individual cars.
Rideshare and Transit at Yulman Stadium
Tulane designates the eastbound shoulder of South Claiborne Avenue between Ben Weiner Drive and Calhoun Street as the rideshare pickup and drop-off zone, marked with a feather flag. It is on the east edge of campus along the Claiborne corridor, which is convenient for arrival — you're close to the stadium without fighting the closed interior roads — but for a larger group, coordinating multiple Ubers or Lyfts to the same shoulder of a highway feeder road is an exercise in frustration. Post-game, expect surge pricing as 30,000 fans all reach for their phones at the same moment.
The St. Charles Avenue streetcar is a scenic option from the Garden District or Canal Street, but Tulane's own transportation guidance and transit data put the nearest streetcar stop at roughly a 24-minute walk from Benson Field — twice in rain, twice in Louisiana heat. The RTA bus lines 51 and 9 stop closer, with the S. Claiborne Ave. at Calhoun St. stop landing about a 4-minute walk from the stadium. Worth knowing if your group is comfortable navigating NORTA's network, but not a reliable fit for large groups with varying mobility needs.
A private New Orleans party bus or charter bus handles all of this — one vehicle, one pickup, one clear plan from start to finish.
Driving from New Orleans to Yulman Stadium: Routes and Timing
Yulman Stadium sits on Tulane's Uptown campus at Ben Weiner Drive, New Orleans, LA 70118 — about 4 miles from the French Quarter and roughly 5 miles from the Central Business District. On an ordinary afternoon, that's a 12–18 minute drive. On a Green Wave home game day, the same stretch of city takes considerably longer as Uptown fills with fans, campus roads close, and the Claiborne corridor backs up around the stadium perimeter.
The most common approach routes are St. Charles Avenue (slow but direct through the Garden District) and South Claiborne Avenue (faster until the gameday restrictions kick in), with Magazine Street as a parallel surface option. All three converge around the Freret Street and Willow Street campus approaches.
Approximate drive times from common pickup points before gameday traffic builds:
| From… | Approx. distance | Typical off-peak drive time |
|---|---|---|
| French Quarter / Vieux Carré | ~4 miles | 15–20 minutes |
| Central Business District | ~5 miles | 15–25 minutes |
| Garden District | ~2 miles | 8–15 minutes |
| Mid-City | ~4 miles | 15–20 minutes |
| Louis Armstrong Airport (MSY) | ~14 miles | 20–30 minutes |
| Metairie | ~9 miles | 20–30 minutes |
Add 20–40 minutes to all of those on a major game day, especially once the campus restrictions lock in. Night games see the worst post-game traffic because the forced exits all funnel fans onto the same Uptown surface streets simultaneously. The bus doesn't eliminate the traffic — but it means your group is sitting together, not white-knuckling five separate cars through the same crawl.
Louis Armstrong Airport to Yulman Stadium — Party Bus Rental for Out-of-Town Groups
Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) sits about 14 miles west of Yulman Stadium via I-10 East. For groups flying in for a Green Wave game — from Baton Rouge, from Atlanta, from anywhere outside New Orleans — a single charter bus from MSY baggage claim to the Tulane campus is the cleanest move. Instead of splitting your group across multiple rideshares with luggage and sorting out which one makes it to the Loyola Garage and which one gets dropped on the Claiborne shoulder, one bus collects the whole group at the terminal and runs straight to the Freret Street loading zone.
No surge pricing, no coordination overhead, no one arriving 45 minutes after the rest of the group.
The MSY airport shuttle guide covers the baggage claim pickup zones and ground transportation logistics at Armstrong if you want the full picture. For the Yulman Stadium run specifically: coordinate your bus pickup after the group has collected all luggage and assembled at the agreed-upon arrival door, then a single call confirms the bus moves to the curb. From there it's I-10 East to the Uptown campus — a direct, no-transfer approach that no combination of rideshares can match for a group of 20 or more.
What Size Charter Bus or Party Bus Does Your Group Need?
No two fan groups are the same size — and the vehicle lineup covers enough range that your group rides comfortable without paying for seats you don't fill. Here is how the options break down for a Yulman Stadium run:
| Vehicle | Seats | Luggage / gear | Best for | Key features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to ~14 | Modest — bags, game gear | Small groups, premium executive transfers, suite holders | Premium leather, USB charging, tinted windows |
| 15–25 passenger party bus | ~15–25 | Onboard, lighter | Tailgate groups, friend squads, Greek organizations | LED lighting, Bluetooth sound, flat-panel TVs, built-in seating |
| 30–50 passenger party bus | ~30–50 | Onboard, moderate | Larger fan groups wanting the rolling pregame energy | Full bar setup area, color-changing LEDs, premium sound, TV screens |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | ~15–35 | Overhead plus some underfloor | Mid-size groups, corporate outings, family groups | Powerful A/C, plush reclining seats, luggage compartment |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Excellent — deep undercarriage bays | Large fan groups, away-game runs, alumni travel | Reclining seats, climate control, overhead storage, WiFi, power outlets, onboard restroom, undercarriage bays |
For most Tulane football fan groups, the sweet spot is a 25-passenger party bus or a 40-passenger party bus — enough room for a full group without overkill, with the onboard energy that fits a football Saturday. For groups hauling extra gear — coolers, tailgate supplies to use at the Berger Family Lawn before the game — a full charter bus gives you the undercarriage bays to stow it all without cramming the cabin. For corporate groups or suite holders, a minibus or Sprinter is typically the cleaner, more maneuverable pick for Uptown streets.
ADA-accessible vehicles are available through the network — just note your needs when requesting your quote.
Yulman Stadium Party Bus Rental Prices
Partybusneworleansla.com shows pricing online in under 30 seconds — you see what the rate looks like before you commit to anything. The final number moves with vehicle size, total rental hours (including arrival time and post-game wait), your pickup location, and whether the game falls on a weekday or weekend. To give you an idea of what a Yulman Stadium run might look like:
A 25-passenger party bus for a Saturday game typically runs $275–$375 per hour on weekends. A 5-hour rental — pickup near the French Quarter two hours before kickoff, drop at Freret Street, post-game wait and return to the hotel — works out to roughly $1,375–$1,875 total, or about $55–$75 per person for a group of 25. Compare that to five separate cars paying $25 each at the Loyola Garage ($125 total, no shuttle, each car needs its own designated driver for the ride home) and the math shifts fast in favor of the bus once your group gets past a few vehicles.
For a larger group, a 40–56 passenger charter bus runs $200–$350 per hour on weekdays and the same range on weekends. A 50-person group on a 5-hour rental at the midrange comes to around $1,375–$2,250 total — roughly $28–$45 per person. That's the number you are comparing against multiple Loyola Garage passes plus the post-game rideshare surge for everyone.
Pricing details for your specific date and group size are one quick call away at 504-552-3110, or use the online form to see options in under a minute. See the New Orleans party bus prices page for the full rate range breakdown.
One pricing note that catches groups off guard: Yulman Stadium does not publish a separate charter bus parking permit fee in the same way some NFL venues do. Confirm campus access and drop-off details with the operator handling your trip when you book — the quote you receive is based on vehicle size, hours, and pickup location.
Tailgating at Yulman Stadium: What Your Group Needs to Know
Yulman Stadium's tailgate setup is built into the campus itself — which means it works differently from the massive stadium lot tailgates at Caesars Superdome or SEC programs. For the 2025 season, Tulane designated the Berger Family Lawn as the primary tailgating location, with tailgating beginning four hours before kickoff and ending 30 minutes before the game. No tailgating is permitted during the game or in parking lots and garages — the tailgate is the lawn, and the lawn only.
(Check the official Gameday Central page before your specific game date, since Tulane adjusts the tailgate setup season to season — the 2025 rules may or may not carry over to 2026.)
A charter bus or party bus handles the transport of your tailgate supplies to the Freret Street loading zone without issue — undercarriage bays on a full charter bus hold soft coolers and folding chairs easily, and even a 25-passenger party bus has room for the essentials. Your group grabs the gear on the way out, sets up on the Berger Family Lawn, and the bus waits for the post-game return. The whole operation stays organized around one vehicle rather than trying to coordinate supplies across multiple cars and multiple parking situations.
The 2026 Tulane Green Wave Home Schedule at Yulman Stadium
The defending American Athletic Conference champions have six home games at Yulman Stadium in the 2026 season, per Tulane Athletics' official 2026 schedule announcement. These are the games drawing the biggest group bus requests:
- September 12 — South Alabama (Home Opener): The first game of the season at Yulman Stadium, a rematch of last year's Tulane road win. Season opener energy means tailgate crowds arrive early and parking fills faster than mid-season games — a good time to get the bus confirmed well ahead.
- September 26 — Southern Miss (Hall of Fame Game): Tulane's designated Hall of Fame game for 2026. In-state rivalry energy draws additional fans from the Gulf Coast. Book early; this one draws groups from Hattiesburg and Mobile alongside the usual New Orleans crowd.
- October 16 — Memphis (Friday Night): The lone Friday night home game on the 2026 schedule, which changes the parking dynamics slightly — Tulane's Gameday Central page notes different tailgate hours for weeknight games. Check those hours specifically before this game.
- October 24 — UTSA: Midseason home game, typically a more manageable traffic picture than the early-season opener but still subject to all the same campus road closures.
- November 7 — Tulsa (Homecoming): Homecoming draws the largest alumni travel groups of the regular season, with out-of-town visitors coming from across the country. The Freret Street loading zone sees its heaviest charter bus use on Homecoming — if your group is coming from out of town, confirm your bus and approach route early.
- November 21 — North Texas (Senior Day): The regular season closer is Senior Day, typically a well-attended home finale. Late November in New Orleans is still warm enough for the Berger Family Lawn tailgate to be comfortable.
Homecoming (November 7) is the single most-requested Yulman Stadium game for charter bus and party bus rentals — alumni groups, Greek organizations, and returning out-of-town fans all converge on Uptown at once. The best vehicles at the right price go first for that weekend. Call 504-552-3110 to discuss your game date and lock in availability.
Game Day Tips for Yulman Stadium
- Arrive with a clear bag. Yulman Stadium enforces a clear bag policy: bags larger than 4.5″ × 6.5″ must be clear and no larger than 12″ × 12″ × 6″. A single small non-clear clutch is permitted per guest.
- No umbrellas. Tulane explicitly bans umbrellas inside Yulman Stadium. Check the weather and dress for New Orleans humidity — an open-air stadium in September Louisiana is warmer than you expect.
- Pre-purchase any on-campus parking passes well in advance. The Diboll Garage and Tailgate Village are season-pass-only. Day-of drive-up is available only at the Loyola Garages ($25/vehicle, cashless, no shuttle) and — for ADA — the Ursuline front lot off Claiborne Avenue. None of this applies to your bus group, which drops on Freret Street instead.
- Post-game: have a plan before you walk out. NOPD runs forced directional exits from most lots, and the surrounding Uptown streets take a while to clear. Know where the bus is staging before your group walks out so no one is standing around waiting. Set the pickup window before kickoff.
- Night games and weeknight games have adjusted tailgate hours. The published 4-hours-before-kickoff tailgate start is for most games; check the official Gameday Central page for weeknight game timing, which Tulane announces separately closer to each game date.
- The Freret Street drop-off is on the west side of campus. Yulman Stadium is on the east side, near Claiborne Avenue. Budget 8–12 minutes for the walk across campus from the Devlin Fieldhouse to the stadium gates.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting to Yulman Stadium by Bus
Where exactly does a charter bus drop off at Yulman Stadium?
The designated charter bus loading zone is on Freret Street at Avron B. Fogelman Arena in the Devlin Fieldhouse, per Tulane's official Gameday Central page. This is on the west (Freret Street) side of campus — away from the closed Ben Weiner Drive / Janet Yulman Way corridor on the east side. From the Devlin Fieldhouse drop-off, fans walk east across campus to Benson Field, roughly 8–12 minutes.
The specific access route for your game date should always be confirmed against the current Gameday Central page, since Tulane updates access details seasonally.
Why can't a charter bus just pull up to the stadium gates on Ben Weiner Drive?
Because Ben Weiner Drive is closed to all vehicular through traffic all day on every gameday — not just during the game. Ben Weiner Drive between Claiborne Avenue and Janet Yulman Way goes pedestrian-only before the game even begins. Janet Yulman Way and Audubon Boulevard are similarly restricted.
The pedestrian zone is a safety and crowd management measure, and it applies to every vehicle regardless of size. The Freret Street loading zone exists specifically because it is accessible to oversize vehicles without crossing those closed roads.
How much does parking cost at Yulman Stadium?
Day-of walk-up parking is limited to Loyola University's Freret Street and West Road garages at $25 per vehicle, cashless (credit/debit) only, with no shuttle service to the stadium. Pre-purchased digital passes are required for any on-campus parking, and the Diboll Garage and Tailgate Village lots are season-pass-only. There is no general on-campus day-of drive-up parking.
The Claiborne Lot has been offline since 2025 due to construction. Ten cars at the Loyola Garage costs $250 with no shuttle, while one charter bus typically costs $200–$350 per hour split across the whole group — do the per-head math and the bus usually wins once you are past 25 or 30 people.
Where does a rideshare pick up and drop off at Yulman Stadium?
The rideshare pickup and drop-off zone is on the eastbound shoulder of South Claiborne Avenue between Ben Weiner Drive and Calhoun Street, marked with a feather flag. This puts rideshare users on the Claiborne side of campus — convenient for dropping off before a game, but expect surge pricing and a longer wait post-game as 30,000 fans all request rides simultaneously. A charter bus stages nearby and is ready when you walk out — no wait, no surge, no luck required.
Is there a shuttle to Yulman Stadium?
Tulane runs complimentary fan shuttles from the Tailgate Village lot, the St. Rita lot, and the Ursuline Academy lot to a hub on Claiborne Avenue near Ben Weiner Drive — but shuttles are not offered from Diboll Garage, the Oak Lot, or the Loyola University garages. Shuttle stops are marked with feather flags. For groups parked off-campus at Loyola, there is no shuttle — just the walk.
There is no shuttle service from the Freret Street charter bus loading zone because the walk across campus from the Devlin Fieldhouse covers the same ground the shuttle would.
Can the bus wait for us during the game?
Yes. Your rental is a block of time dedicated to your group, so the bus can stage nearby while your group is inside and be right there for an agreed-upon post-game pickup. Set that pickup window before kickoff — in a specific location near the Freret Street side of campus — so the bus is positioned when your group walks out rather than adding unnecessary time to the post-game window.
NOPD enforces directional exits from most parking lots after the game, so a bus staged on the Freret Street corridor can typically move out ahead of the heaviest lot traffic.
How early should we book a bus for a Tulane football game?
For regular-season home games, two to four weeks of lead time is workable for most dates. For Homecoming (November 7 in 2026), book six to eight weeks out — it is the highest-demand game of the Tulane season for out-of-town visitor groups and alumni, and the right-size vehicles fill first. For a weeknight game like the October 16 Memphis matchup, the same advice applies since game-night demand is narrower.
The earlier you confirm your headcount and date, the better the selection. Call 504-552-3110 to check availability for your game — no account required, no obligation on a quote request.
Can a party bus or minibus also use the Freret Street drop-off?
Yes. The Freret Street at Devlin Fieldhouse loading zone is the designated drop-off for charter buses — and a minibus or smaller party bus uses the same zone because it is Tulane's designated access point for oversize passenger vehicles on gamedays. Smaller vehicles like Sprinter vans have more flexibility in terms of where they can legally stop, but the Freret Street loading zone is the confirmed approach for any group vehicle.
Verify the current specifics for your vehicle type and game date on the official Gameday Central page.
Does Partybusneworleansla.com own the buses?
No — Partybusneworleansla.com is a comparison website, not a bus company. It connects you with transportation options from a large network of bus companies serving New Orleans and the surrounding region. You fill out one quick form or call 504-552-3110, compare party buses, charter buses, and minibuses alongside real pricing, and find what fits your group — without calling multiple companies individually or waiting on hold.
No account required, and a free quote takes under a minute.
Book Your Yulman Stadium Bus Today
Whether it is the Homecoming game, a November season finale, or a Friday night kickoff at Benson Field, Partybusneworleansla.com makes it easy to find and compare New Orleans party bus and charter bus rental options that fit your group and your date. Fill out the quick online form or call 504-552-3110 any time — pricing comes back in under a minute, no account needed, and a support team is standing by if you want to walk through the options or build a custom itinerary. Also heading to a Saints game at Caesars Superdome this season?
The Superdome transportation guide covers that drop-off and parking picture in the same detail. For the full range of New Orleans group transportation services, see the New Orleans group transportation hub. Your Yulman Stadium group is ready — let's get them there.
