On a Texas home Saturday, a hundred thousand people try to get to the same block. Most of them sit in traffic and pay for parking. If you live in West Campus apartments, you put on burnt orange and walk. Here’s a game-day plan from The Sinclair.
Why are West Campus apartments the easy way to do game day?
Because the stadium is across campus, not across town. From Nueces Street, you walk east through the Forty Acres and you’re there. No car, no shuttle, no surge pricing.
The Sinclair is at 2710 Nueces Street. Check the Texas Athletics schedule for home dates. Then plan the day around kickoff.
Earlier in the week
Sort out your ticket. UT students usually buy a season pass for athletics, and seats are claimed before each game. Check how it works this year and set a reminder.
Talk to your roommates about guests. Everyone’s friends from home want to come for a game. Ask the office about overnight guests and visitor parking. Street parking in West Campus is tight on a normal day and close to impossible on a game day. Tell guests to get dropped off.
Look at your coursework. Midterms don’t move for football. Finish what you can on Friday.
Saturday morning
Check kickoff. It’s set for TV and can be anywhere from late morning to night. An early-October day game is hot. Wear sunscreen, bring a hat and drink water before you leave.
Eat at home. Breakfast tacos are the correct choice.
Read the bag policy. Bring your student ID, your phone and as little else as you can.
What should you do before kickoff?
Walk through campus. Tailgates fill the lawns and lots on the east and north sides. Student groups, alumni and families set up for hours.
Go to Bevo Boulevard. It’s the street festival outside the stadium on game days, with music and food, and it’s where the live mascot, a longhorn steer, makes his entrance. Check the time for that. It’s worth seeing once.
Leave your place early. The walk is easy, and the day is the point.
Inside the stadium
The student section stands the whole game. Wear comfortable shoes. Learn “Texas Fight” and “The Eyes of Texas.” Put your horns up.
At a day game, the east side gets full sun. Drink water. If you feel off, go to the concourse and cool down. Heat gets people every September and October.
No ticket?
Host a watch party. West Campus on game day is fun even from a living room. You’ll hear the stadium from your street. Make queso. Invite your floor.
I’d pick this for at least one game in exam season. It’s the same game with a better seat.
After the game
Walk home. You’ll pass thousands of people waiting for rides. That’s the moment living here pays off.
Look up on the way. After a win, the UT Tower is lit orange. It’s a small thing that never gets old.
If you go out afterward, stay with your group and plan the walk back. West Campus is busy on game nights. Stick to the lit streets you know.
What about the Oklahoma game?
That one’s in Dallas, at the State Fair of Texas, every October. Half of West Campus goes. If you’re staying in Austin, it’s the quietest Saturday of the fall, and watch parties are everywhere. Check the date.
Sunday
Guests leave. Do laundry, take out the trash and open your notes. West Campus is slow on Sunday mornings, which is good for studying.
What’s left this season?
Check the schedule for the remaining home games. Halloween is a Saturday this year, October 31. The clocks fall back the next morning, Sunday, November 1. After that, night games are cool enough for a jacket, and football in Austin finally feels like fall.
If game days have you thinking about staying in West Campus next year, the floor plans page shows what’s available at The Sinclair.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you walk to UT football games from West Campus?
Yes. The stadium is on the east side of campus, a walk across the Forty Acres from West Campus.
Where should game-day guests park?
Parking in West Campus is limited. Ask the office about visitor parking, and suggest guests get dropped off.
Where is The Sinclair?
The Sinclair is at 2710 Nueces St, Austin, TX 78705.
Key Takeaways
- Students in West Campus apartments can walk to Longhorn home games.
- Claim your ticket and settle guest plans early in the week.
- Day games are hot: water, sunscreen and a hat.
- Walk home with your group and look for the orange Tower after a win.