Gameday Countdown

It is official. We are only 24 DAYS away from kick-off in Jordan-Hare Stadium. Luckily, we only have 18 DAYS until the Tigers are back in action. If you are like me, you can feel your blood pumping. You are starting to get anxious and maybe even a little impatient for those Saturdays on the Plains. Well, while I can't speed up time, I can help you get ready for the big day! Throughout the next few weeks, I am going to give you the run down on everything gameday. From hotels to events, you will be ready to head down to the Plains in no time!

Hotels

Despite the rumor, hotels are NOT sold out. As of last week, the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau is reporting 29 hotels that still have availability for the first game against Jacksonville State. Auburn and Opelika have no shortage of rooms. Auburn currently has 18 hotels, with two of those being brand new with the Courtyard by Marriott on Exit 51 and Candlewood Suites on Exit 57. Opelika has 16 hotels, including the Marriott at Grand National on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail. Don't let staying in Opelika scare you, in a few minutes, you will discover that the Tiger Transit system makes it easy for you to travel between the two cities on gameday. The Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau works hard all season long to ensure that availability is up to date. We provide a listing for you to view each week at www.aotourism.com/football with the most current rates and openings at each hotel in Auburn and Opelika, although these should be used as a guideline due to availability constantly changing. If you have any questions, you can always call us and we will be happy to help you find room. Below is an example of our Football Hotel Availability listing:

Parking

Parking can be overwhelming on gameday, but have no fear, we are here to break it down for you. Below are parking instructions straight from the Fan Guide. If you would like a copy of the Auburn Fan Guide, please email us at info@aotourism.com.

Rule & Regulations
No parking is allowed on the roadway, bike paths and sidewalks.

For pedestrian safety the Mell Street corridor, bound by the intersections of Thach and College, Mell and Samford, and Miller and College will close to all vehicular traffic approximately two to four hours prior to kickoff. To improve safety, parking and post game exiting, game day guests will ONLY be allowed to access parking in the Mell Street corridor from College Street via Roosevelt Drive. Guests parking south of Roosevelt Drive will be required to park facing south and guests parking north of Roosevelt Drive will be required to park facing north.

Vehicles are not allowed inside areas enclosed by bollards, posts, chains or fences. Cars in these areas or those found blocking roadways, sidewalks, emergency lanes, fire hydrants, driveways or other vehicles are subject to being towed at the owner's expense.

Non-university golf carts and all-terrain vehicles are not allowed on campus.

All streets must remain open to traffic and emergency vehicles, except those that are blocked by law-enforcement barricades surrounding Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Accessible Parking
To utilize the AU Accessible parking lot, two items must be present at time of entry:

1. The state-issued handicapped license plate or hang tag;
2. The individual holder of the handicapped registration form must be present in the vehicle with photo ID.
3. Fans parking in ADA lot are not permitted to rope-off or hold spaces for any reason.

RV Parking Information
RVs arriving prior to their designated time may park in the large grass parking areas located at the corner of Donahue Drive and Lem Morrison Drive, beginning at 2 p.m. on Thursday (2 p.m. Wednesday for Alabama Game). RVs must leave campus by 4 p.m. on Sundays.

No-RV zones remain in effect in the core area of campus and other sites. Please refer to the Game Day Map in this guide to determine which areas are designated No-RV zones.

In order to minimize dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning casued by engine exhausts from RVs, trailers or portable generators, owners should ensure that engines are properly vented. Always park in a manner that ensures adequate space between vehicles. Install carbon monoxide detectors if possible.

That was overwhelming and wordy, but to sum it all up, check out the gameday parking map below.

Shuttles

Don't want to bother with parking? Auburn University Tiger Transit system offers a free service on gamedays that takes the worry and hassle out of gameday. The Tiger Transit buses run four hours prior to kickoff, continuously during the game and for two hours post-game to return fans to their stops. What more could you ask for? Tiger Transit pickups are located at various locations around the Auburn-Opelika area, so no matter what direction you are coming from, you can enjoy this luxury on gameday. Below are the transit pickups:

OFF-CAMPUS STOPS

Duck Samford Park (Airport Road, Auburn)
The transit bus pick-up point is located approximately 100 yards on the left after entering Duck Samford Park.

City of Auburn Softball Complex (2560 South College Street, Auburn)
Conveniently located off I-85 (exit 51), the transit bus pick up point is located next to Surfside Water Park.

Village Mall (1627-53 Opelika Road, Auburn)
The transit bus pick-up point is located off Mall Blvd in close proximity to Belk's parking lot.

TigerTown (2199 TigerTown Pkwy, Opelika)
Located off exit 58, the transit bus pick-up point is located in close proximity to the Kohl's parking lot.

ON-CAMPUS STOPS

War Eagle Way (serves as main campus pick up and drop off point)
All game day Tiger Transit shuttles will drop-off and pick-up on campus on War Eagle Way, immediately north of the Nichols Center.

Facilities Division (Samford Avenue)

Lem Morrison and Donahue

West Parking Lot (W. Thach Avenue)

Community Garden (Samford Avenue across from facilities)

We hope that you are well equipped with where you are going to stay and how you are going to get to the action, but as always, if you have questions, please give us a call at (334) 887-8747. Stay tuned for all about tailgating! For more information on gameday, please visit www.aotourism.com or www.auburntigers.com.

This week in Auburn-Opelika:

August 13-22: Auburn University Welcome Week
August 18: Bartender of the Year Competition at the Hotel at Auburn University.
August 18: Opelika Mainstreet Farmers Market from 3-6 p.m.
August 20: The Market at Ag Heritage Park from 3-6 p.m.
August 20: Jazz! Food! Art! at the Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art
August 21-23: Thunder Road Classic
August 21: Young Frankenstein at the Jan Dempsey Community Arts Center
August 21: Come Home to the Corner in Downtown Auburn.
August 21: Comedy Night featuring James Gregory and Jody Fuller at the Bottling Plant Event Center
August 21: Act of Congress in concert at Sundilla
August 22: Tails & Trails 5K Run and One Mile Walk at Town Creek Park

For more information on these events, or upcoming events, please visit www.aotourism.com!