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North Carolina has 14 Division I football stadiums, from 56,919-seat Carter-Finley to 5,000-seat Davidson. Most FBS stadiums use the same 12x6x12-inch clear-bag limit, but grills, alcohol and parking rules differ by school. The ACC title game is Dec 5, 2026, in Charlotte.
- FBS Stadiums7plus 7 FCS
- Biggest56,919Carter-Finley, NC State
- ACC Title GameDec 52026, Charlotte, noon
- Clear Bag Max12x6x12inches, most stadiums
Seven North Carolina schools play top-level FBS football and seven more play FCS. Each stadium has its own rules for when lots open, what you can grill and how big your bag can be, and the rules differ more than you’d think. Below is what each school’s own game-day pages said on Nov 3, 2026.
Home Games Left This Season
28 upcoming dates, soonest first. Each links to the page we read; ended dates drop off this list by themselves.
| Event | When | Where | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| ECU football vs South Florida (Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium) | Fri, Nov 6 (Friday, 7:30 p.m.) | Greenville · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | See event page |
| App State football vs Georgia State (Kidd Brewer Stadium) | Sat, Nov 7 (2:30 p.m.) | Boone · High Country | See event page |
| Campbell football vs Stony Brook (Barker-Lane Stadium) | Sat, Nov 7 (1 p.m.) | Buies Creek · Sandhills | See event page |
| Davidson football vs Stetson (Davidson College Stadium) | Sat, Nov 7 (1 p.m.) | Davidson · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| Elon football vs Hampton (Rhodes Stadium) | Sat, Nov 7 (2 p.m.) | Elon · Triad | See event page |
| Gardner-Webb football vs Lindenwood (Spangler Stadium) | Sat, Nov 7 (1:30 p.m.) | Boiling Springs · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| NC State football vs Duke (Carter-Finley Stadium) | Sat, Nov 7 (12:30 p.m.) | Raleigh · Triangle | See event page |
| Wake Forest football vs Merrimack (Allegacy Financial Stadium, Homecoming) | Sat, Nov 7 (3:30 p.m.) | Winston-Salem · Triad | See event page |
| Western Carolina football vs Wofford (Whitmire Stadium) | Sat, Nov 7 (1 p.m.) | Cullowhee · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Charlotte 49ers football vs East Carolina (Jerry Richardson Stadium) | Sat, Nov 14 (1 p.m.) | Charlotte · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| Elon football vs Campbell (Rhodes Stadium) | Sat, Nov 14 (2 p.m.) | Elon · Triad | See event page |
| NC State football vs Syracuse (Carter-Finley Stadium, Senior Day) | Sat, Nov 14 (12 p.m.) | Raleigh · Triangle | See event page |
| UNC football vs Louisville (Kenan Stadium) | Sat, Nov 14 (7:30 p.m. per UNC gameday guide) | Chapel Hill · Triangle | See event page |
| Duke football vs Clemson (Wallace Wade Stadium) | Fri, Nov 20 (Friday, 7:30 p.m.) | Durham · Triangle | See event page |
| App State football vs ULM (Kidd Brewer Stadium, Senior Day) | Sat, Nov 21 (time TBD) | Boone · High Country | See event page |
| Campbell football vs Monmouth (Barker-Lane Stadium, Senior Day) | Sat, Nov 21 (12 p.m.) | Buies Creek · Sandhills | See event page |
| Davidson football vs Marist (Davidson College Stadium) | Sat, Nov 21 (1 p.m.) | Davidson · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| Gardner-Webb football vs Tennessee State (Spangler Stadium) | Sat, Nov 21 (1:30 p.m.) | Boiling Springs · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| NC A&T football vs Albany (Truist Stadium, Senior Day) | Sat, Nov 21 (12 p.m.) | Greensboro · Triad | See event page |
| NC Central football vs Morgan State (O'Kelly-Riddick Stadium) | Sat, Nov 21 (2 p.m.) | Durham · Triangle | See event page |
| Western Carolina football vs The Citadel (Whitmire Stadium, Senior Day) | Sat, Nov 21 (1 p.m.) | Cullowhee · Smoky Mountains | See event page |
| Charlotte 49ers football vs Navy (Jerry Richardson Stadium) | Sat, Nov 28 (time TBA) | Charlotte · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| ECU football vs Florida Atlantic (Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium, Senior Day) | Sat, Nov 28 (time TBA) | Greenville · Eastern Plain & Inner Banks | See event page |
| UNC football vs NC State (Kenan Stadium, Senior Day) | Sat, Nov 28 (time TBA) | Chapel Hill · Triangle | See event page |
| Wake Forest football vs Duke (Allegacy Financial Stadium, Senior Day) | Sat, Nov 28 (time TBA) | Winston-Salem · Triad | See event page |
| Duke's Mayo Bowl (Bank of America Stadium) | Sat, Dec 26 (3:30 p.m., not confirmed) | Charlotte · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| Duke's Mayo Classic: NC Central vs NC A&T (Bank of America Stadium) | Fri, Sep 3, 2027 (time TBD; date not confirmed) | Charlotte · Charlotte Region | See event page |
| Duke's Mayo Classic: Notre Dame vs Wake Forest (Bank of America Stadium) | Sat, Oct 9, 2027 (time TBD; date not confirmed) | Charlotte · Charlotte Region | See event page |
Where a kickoff says TBA, check the school schedule linked in that row closer to the game.
Not confirmed: UNC lists the Louisville game as 7 or 7:30 p.m. on its schedule and 7:30 p.m. in its game-day guide.
Stadiums at a Glance
| Stadium (Team) | Seats | Public Parking | Gates Open |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kenan Stadium (UNC) | 50,500 | Prepaid $35 per game on ParkMobile, $40 on game day; card or mobile only. Tar Heel Express shuttle $10 round trip from free park-and-ride lots | 90 minutes before kickoff |
| Carter-Finley Stadium (NC State) | 56,919 | Highway 54 Lot $30; Frank Weedon Lot $80-$90; card only. Lots open 5 hours before kickoff | 90 minutes before |
| Wallace Wade Stadium (Duke) | 35,018 | General public parking in football lots is free; free shuttle from GC and H lots every 15-20 minutes; RVs $70 | 90 minutes before |
| Allegacy Financial Stadium (Wake Forest) | 31,500 | Pay lots $20-$35 for the Nov 7 game; free parking at 2400 Reynolda Road with a shuttle 2 hours before kickoff | 90 minutes before |
| Kidd Brewer Stadium (App State) | Record crowd 40,168 (2022); 2,000 temporary seats added for 2026 | 75 free first-come spaces at the Levine College of Health Sciences, with AppalCART to campus | Not stated |
| Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (ECU) | 50,000 | Carol Belk Building lot $20, card only, first come | 2 hours before |
| Jerry Richardson Stadium (Charlotte) | 15,314 | Parking pass needed to enter campus; drive-up only at the Pink Cone Deck; no cash | 90 minutes before |
Not confirmed: Wake Forest’s pages give two price sets (the Nov 7 notice: $20-$35; a September notice: $30-$40) and two lot-open times (5 or 6 hours). UNC’s older pages show $25 parking; we use the current parking page. Charlotte’s page says tailgating opens 8 hours before kickoff (not before 8 a.m.) in one place and 4 hours in another. App State does not publish a seat count; the Kenan Stadium gate time and clear-bag rule come from a 2024 UNC page.
Tailgate Rules by Stadium
Every FBS stadium in the state uses the same clear-bag size for the stadium itself: a clear bag up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch (Duke allows up to 8 by 5 by 1 inches). The lot rules are where they differ:
NC State (Carter-Finley)
- Lots open 5 hours before kickoff.
- Beer and unfortified wine only.
- Charcoal grills allowed, 10 feet from anything that can burn; no open-flame fires.
- Tents stay inside your space; no amplified sound.
Duke (Wallace Wade)
- Tailgate in surface lots only, not in garages.
- Propane and charcoal grills allowed if attended; no fire pits.
- One permit, one space: tents and coolers stay out of drive lanes.
- DevilsGate fan area: no glass. Stadium is cashless.
Wake Forest (Allegacy)
- Tailgate only in spaces you paid for.
- Propane grills only; no charcoal.
- No glass.
- A tent needs an extra space pass; no staking.
App State (Kidd Brewer)
- Yosef Club lots open at 8 a.m. for 2:30 or 3:30 p.m. kickoffs.
- Malt beverages and unfortified wine only, in tailgate areas, with ID.
- No spirits, kegs, shared containers or glass.
Charlotte (Jerry Richardson)
- Beer or unfortified wine only, 21+ with ID.
- Propane (tanks up to 20 lb) or charcoal grills, attended; no pit fires.
- Tents up to 10 by 20 feet; no glass.
UNC (Kenan) and ECU (Dowdy-Ficklen)
- UNC: tailgating opens 3 hours before kickoff; reserved tents through the official tailgate partner at the Bell Tower and Amphitheater; no coolers or alcohol into the stadium.
- ECU: lots open 6 hours before weekend kickoffs (8 a.m. for kickoffs before 2 p.m.); Tailgate Plaza has music and a beer garden.
Not confirmed: UNC and ECU lot rules on alcohol, grills, tents and glass are not on any page we could read. Charlotte’s tailgate page is from 2024. Duke’s parking and tailgate rules were read in a browser, not machine-checked.
General guidance, not a school rule: alcohol rules apply to adults 21 and older only, and campus police enforce state law in every lot. Read the school’s current page before game day; rules can change week to week.
Charlotte’s Big Games
- ACC Football Championship Game: Saturday, Dec 5, 2026, noon, ABC, Bank of America Stadium, the 22nd title game (ACC).
- Duke’s Mayo BowlSaturday, Dec 26, 2026, Bank of America Stadium; the event page shows a Big Ten vs ACC matchup (Charlotte Sports Foundation).
- Duke’s Mayo Classic 2027NC Central vs NC A&T on Sept 3, 2027, and Notre Dame vs Wake Forest on Oct 9, 2027, both at Bank of America Stadium. App State vs ECU is listed for Sept 1, 2029.
Not confirmed: The Mayo Bowl kickoff (3:30 p.m.) and the Mayo Classic dates were read through a summarising tool because charlottesports.org blocks our page reader. Confirm on charlottesports.org. See our Bank of America Stadium page for parking and bags.
Rivalries
| Rivalry | 2026 Game | Trophy |
|---|---|---|
| UNC vs Duke | Played Oct 17, 2026, in Durham: UNC 24, Duke 20 | Victory Bell |
| UNC vs NC State | Saturday, Nov 28, 2026, at Kenan Stadium, time TBA (UNC Senior Day) | None named on the schools’ pages |
| Wake Forest vs NC State | Played Oct 10, 2026, in Raleigh: Wake Forest 38, NC State 14 | None named |
| App State vs ECU | Played Sept 12, 2026, in Greenville: App State 27, ECU 24; ended a four-game series | None named |
| Duke vs Wake Forest | Saturday, Nov 28, 2026, in Winston-Salem, time TBA | Not checked |
FCS Saturdays: Smaller Crowds, Cheaper Parking
| Stadium (Team) | Seats | Parking and Tailgating |
|---|---|---|
| Truist Stadium (NC A&T), Greensboro | Record crowd 27,769 | $20 prepaid or tap-and-go, cashless; free south-campus lots with a shuttle |
| O’Kelly-Riddick Stadium (NC Central), Durham | 10,000 | Season lot packages only; alcohol only in marked areas; tailgating ends after the third quarter |
| Whitmire Stadium (Western Carolina), Cullowhee | 14,000 (expanded in 2026) | Free Game Day Shuttle from lots 76A and 76B, 2 hours before kickoff |
| Rhodes Stadium (Elon) | 14,000 | Hunt B lot $20, tailgating allowed; beer and wine only; grills must be raised |
| Barker-Lane Stadium (Campbell), Buies Creek | 5,500 | Lots open 4 hours before kickoff; tailgating allowed in all lots (2024 page) |
| Spangler Stadium (Gardner-Webb), Boiling Springs | 8,500 | Lot D $10, cash or card; all general lots open for tailgating |
| Davidson College Stadium, Davidson | 5,000 | Free grass, Admissions and Baker lots; premium parking $30; tailgating encouraged |
Not confirmed: Gardner-Webb and Western Carolina details were read through a summarising tool or a PDF and were not machine-checked. Campbell’s parking price is not posted.
Kid and Budget Notes
- Free parkingDuke’s general football lots, Davidson’s grass lots, App State’s 75 Levine spaces, and the free UNC and Wake Forest park-and-ride lots (UNC’s shuttle is $10 round trip).
- Cheapest game dayFCS games at Davidson, Gardner-Webb and Campbell pair low or free parking with small, easy stadiums.
- Bring the right bagA one-gallon clear freezer bag works at every FBS stadium in the state. For a medical or parenting bag, ask the school before game day.
- Quieter lotsNC State bans amplified sound in its lots, and Wake Forest, App State and Charlotte ban glass.
Checked Nov 3, 2026. Dates, prices, hours and rules on this page were read on goheels.com, gopack.com, goduke.com, godeacs.com, appstatesports.com, ecupirates.com, charlotte49ers.com, theacc.com, charlottesports.org and the FCS schools’ athletics sites on that date. They can change; check the official page before you go.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is UNC vs NC State in 2026?
Saturday, Nov 28, 2026, at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill; kickoff time TBA.
What size bag can I bring to a North Carolina college football game?
At every FBS stadium in the state: a clear bag up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus a small clutch.
Is parking free at Duke football games?
Duke says general public parking in its football lots is free for regular-sized vehicles. RVs pay $70.
Can you use charcoal grills at Wake Forest tailgates?
No. Wake Forest allows propane grills only.
When is the ACC Championship Game?
Saturday, Dec 5, 2026, at noon at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, on ABC.
When is the 2026 Duke’s Mayo Bowl?
Saturday, Dec 26, 2026, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. Confirm kickoff on charlottesports.org.
Sources
- UNC, public game-day parking (read Nov 3, 2026)
- UNC, stadium policies (read Nov 3, 2026)
- NC State, game-day parking and tailgating (read Nov 3, 2026)
- NC State, clear bag policy (read Nov 3, 2026)
- Duke, game-day parking (read Nov 3, 2026)
- Duke, clear bag policy (read Nov 3, 2026)
- Wake Forest, game day (read Nov 3, 2026)
- App State, tailgating (read Nov 3, 2026)
- ECU, parking (read Nov 3, 2026)
- Charlotte, tailgating (read Nov 3, 2026)
- ACC, 2026 Football Championship Game (read Nov 3, 2026)
- Charlotte Sports Foundation, Duke’s Mayo Bowl (read Nov 3, 2026)
- UNC 2026 football schedule and results (read Nov 3, 2026)
- App State 2026 football schedule (read Nov 3, 2026)
- Wake Forest 2026 football schedule (read Nov 3, 2026)
Read on November 3, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “College Football Saturdays in NC: Tailgating, Parking”, itsnorthcarolina.com/things-to-do/college-football-saturdays-north-carolina/ (updated ). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.