Texas trailed No. 1 Ohio State 23-3 going into the fourth quarter on Saturday night, then came all the way back. Hollywood Smothers dived over from a yard out with 37 seconds left, and the Longhorns won 24-23 in front of an announced crowd of 105,044 at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. “Ohio State football” was the most searched trend in the United States the next morning.
If that comeback has you thinking about a trip to Austin for a game, this guide covers the stadium, how to get there, what to know before you go through the gates, and what to do in the city around kickoff.
A century-old stadium in the middle of campus
The stadium opened in 1924 as War Memorial Stadium and has carried the name of coach Darrell K Royal since 1996. It stands on the University of Texas campus at 405 East 23rd Street, about a mile north of the Texas State Capitol, which makes it one of the easiest big college football stadiums to reach on foot from a downtown hotel.
Its official capacity is 100,119, but big games can draw more. The record is 105,215, set against Georgia on October 19, 2024. A south end zone expansion completed in 2021, at a cost of $175 million, closed the bowl on all sides, and that is part of why the noise carries the way it did on Saturday.
Look out for the traditions: Bevo, the live longhorn mascot; Smokey the Cannon; the “Hook ’em Horns” hand sign; and the school song, “The Eyes of Texas.”
The rest of the 2026 home schedule
The next home game is against UTSA on September 19. After that, Texas plays three straight home games in October: Florida on October 17, Ole Miss on October 24 and Mississippi State on October 31. College football kickoff times are often confirmed only a week or two ahead, so book refundable rooms until you know whether it is a noon or a night game.
Getting to the stadium
From the airport
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport sits southeast of downtown. CapMetro’s Route 20 starts at the airport and runs along East Riverside to downtown and on to the UT campus, as part of the agency’s high-frequency network. Check CapMetro’s site for the current fare and the service on game weekends.
On foot and by bus
If you are staying downtown, walking is often the best option: head north up Congress Avenue past the Capitol and on through campus, joining the orange-shirted crowds on the way. On a hot afternoon, allow extra time and carry water. CapMetro buses also serve the campus, but expect them to be full close to kickoff.
Driving and parking
Driving right up to the stadium is not really an option. UT’s parking office requires several streets around the stadium to be cleared of cars by 11:59 p.m. the night before a home game, including stretches of San Jacinto Boulevard, Trinity Street, Robert Dedman Drive, Speedway and 21st and 24th Streets. Paid public parking is available in places such as the Health Center Garage and several campus lots, booked through ParkMobile. Reserve ahead, and pick a spot on the side of campus you will be leaving toward.
Before you go through the gates
- Bags: Texas has a clear bag policy. Clear bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches are allowed, along with one-gallon clear plastic bags and small clutches up to about 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Anything else goes back to the car or the hotel.
- Heat: September highs in Austin are typically in the 90s °F, and both home games so far this season drew local news coverage of fans struggling in the heat. Wear a hat and sunscreen, drink water before you arrive, and find the refill stations inside.
- Water bottles and other rules: policies can change from season to season, so read the current Texas Athletics fan guide before you pack.
Around kickoff: Austin beyond the stadium
The Capitol and the Bullock Museum
The Bullock Texas State History Museum, at 1800 North Congress Avenue, sits on the Capitol Mall between the Capitol and the campus, right on your walk to the game. It is a good way to spend a morning before a night kickoff, and the Texas State Capitol is a few blocks south.
The Congress Avenue Bridge bats
Every evening in the warmer months, Mexican free-tailed bats pour out from under the Congress Avenue Bridge over Lady Bird Lake. Visit Austin puts the colony at around 1.5 million by the end of the season. The Austin Bat Refuge counts late July to mid-September among the best times to watch, and the bats usually emerge around sunset.
There are three good ways to see them:
- On the bridge: the sidewalk on top works best when the bats fly while it is still light.
- From the lawn: the Statesman Bat Observation Center is a grassy slope by the southeast side of the bridge, with paid parking at 305 South Congress Avenue.
- From the water: riverboat cruises and guided evening kayak tours head out onto the lake at dusk.
Timing matters in two ways. A night kickoff clashes with the bats, so plan them for the evening before or after. And the colony starts to head south as the weather cools in autumn, so the UTSA weekend is a far better bet than the end of October.
Making a college football road trip of it? Our guide to gameday at Michigan Stadium covers another college stadium where crowds top 100,000, and if you are continuing through Texas, see our Houston stadium trip guide.
Congress Avenue Bridge photo: Aleksandr Zykov from Russia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
.jpg){kind=link}