Getting to college football stadiums by bus and train
Most buses and trains don't stop at the stadium. This page covers the last stretch from the station to the gate, and the last ride home after the game. Pick your city.
Austin: Darrell K Royal Stadium
Venue rules and links below checked September 15, 2026.
How do I get to Darrell K Royal Stadium from the bus and train stations?
- DowntownCapMetro $1.25On foot up Trinity or Red River703 E 9th St (FlixBus, Greyhound)25 min
- Eastside Bus PlazaNot a walkCapMetro bus in, or a rideshare363 Shady Lane (FlixBus, Greyhound)30 min
- 21st StreetOn foot, east on 21st353 W 21st St (RedCoach)12 min
- AmtrakFlatOn foot, or a CapMetro bus250 N Lamar Blvd35 min
Before you plan the walk, look at which Austin stop is on your ticket, because most buses don't come anywhere near campus.
Downtown, 703 E 9th St (FlixBus, Greyhound). This is where most people end up, and it's a fair deal: the stadium's a mile and a quarter north, about 25 minutes on foot up Trinity or Red River (the Capitol dome stays on your left, so you can't really get lost). There's a CapMetro bus up the same streets every 15 minutes on game days for $1.25, which in September heat is worth it even for a mile.
Eastside Bus Plaza, 363 Shady Lane (FlixBus, Greyhound). Less convenient, and worth knowing before you book. It's three miles east of campus, so you'll need a CapMetro bus in (around 20 minutes) or a rideshare, which is painless if there are four of you splitting it. Half an hour from stepping off to reaching the gate is a safe guess.
21st Street, 353 W 21st St (RedCoach). The one stop that's actually on campus. Walk east on 21st, cross the Drag, and you're at the stadium in about 12 minutes, which is shorter than the security line will be.
Amtrak, 250 N Lamar Blvd. The train puts you west of downtown, about 1.7 miles out, so it's the longest walk of the group: 35 minutes, flat, through the west side of downtown. A CapMetro bus covers it if you'd rather.
However you arrive, the last few blocks are a slow shuffle with everyone else. Wear shoes you can stand in for a while.
What's the last ride home after the game?
There's no train home after a night game (the Texas Eagle comes through once a day each way, hours before kickoff), so if you came by Amtrak, tonight is a bus or a hotel.
The part you don't have to worry about is the city itself. CapMetro's rail and Rapid lines run until midnight on Saturdays, so getting from the stadium back to the 9th Street stop is a bus ride or a 25-minute walk with the crowd.
If the last bus is gone, the first ones Sunday leave at 1:05 a.m., 6:30 a.m., and 3 a.m.. Plenty of people plan it that way on purpose.
Which buses and trains get me to Austin before a 7 p.m. kickoff?
Get to Austin by 5:30 and the rest is the walk you already read about.
| From | Buses and trains Saturday | Last one that gets you in by 5:30 | Ride | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | 42 | 1:15 p.m. | about 1h 25m | $17 |
| Houston | 33 | 2:45 p.m. | about 2h 30m | $36 |
| Dallas | 55 | 1:15 p.m. | about 2h 45m | $44 |
The Dallas train is the one to double-check. That's the once-a-day Texas Eagle again, and it may not land before kickoff, so don't count on it. Route pages: San Antonio to Austin · Houston to Austin · Dallas to Austin.
This week at DKR: UTSA at Texas
Saturday, September 19. Kickoff 7 p.m. Central, on SEC Network+.
From San Antonio, 42 buses run Saturday. The 1:15 p.m. is the last one that gets you downtown by 5:30, and fares start at $17. You'll arrive at the 9th Street stop, with the same CapMetro-or-walk finish described up top.
Getting home: the last bus back to San Antonio leaves at 10:50 p.m., and the first one Sunday morning is at 1:05 a.m.. One of those is going to be your bus. Decide which before the fourth quarter.
Where do I park at DKR, and can I skip it?
There's official parking, but less of it than you'd think. Texas Athletics lists the permit lots and garages on its Gameday Parking Central page, and single-game spots downtown are sold separately through the Texas Facilities Commission, so the close ones go fast. CapMetro adds service to the stadium on game days and lists the routes on its own game-day page.
Skipping parking is easier than the garages make it look. Get off the bus at 9th Street and walk or ride CapMetro north, or park at a CapMetro rail station and take the train in. The trains run later than most parking lots empty out.
What can I bring into DKR?
Texas uses a clear bag policy. You can bring one clear bag up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear storage bag, plus a small clutch smaller than 4.5 by 6.5 inches. You can bring one sealed plastic bottle of water up to a litre, but no other outside drinks, and tobacco in any form is banned campus-wide. The full policy is at TexasLonghorns.com/clearbag. If you're on a bus for two hours first, anything bigger than the bag has to stay behind.
Where should I stay if I'm coming in for the game?
If you're staying, stay downtown. The 9th Street stop, the stadium, and the bars are all within a walk of each other. If you'd rather not pay Austin game-weekend prices, ride in from San Antonio and take the first bus back Sunday. It's a short enough trip that a lot of people treat it as a day trip with a late night attached.
Game weekends fill the hotels near campus, so book the room before you book the bus.
Got a correction?
If we've got a stop, a walk time, or a rule wrong, tell us. We'll fix it and put your name next to the fix if you want it there.
Salt Lake City: Rice-Eccles Stadium
Venue rules and links below checked September 15, 2026. FrontRunner times are from UTA's Saturday timetable effective August 16, 2026.
How do I get to Rice-Eccles Stadium from the bus and train stations?
- Salt Lake CentralTicket covers fareBlue Line to Courthouse, Red Line to Stadium300 South 600 West (Greyhound, FlixBus, Amtrak, FrontRunner)30 to 40 min
Salt Lake Central, 300 South 600 West, is where you'll arrive whether you came by Greyhound, FlixBus, Amtrak, or FrontRunner. The stadium is a TRAX ride away, though not a short one: take the Blue Line east to Courthouse, change to the Red Line, and get off at Stadium, which puts you at the gate. That's about 27 minutes on the trains, so give yourself 30 to 40 with the change.
Your game ticket pays for it. UTA counts every 2026 Utah on-campus sporting event under its Ticket As Fare program, so your ticket makes TRAX, FrontRunner, and UTA buses free on the day it's dated.
Skip the walk from downtown. The university sits on a hill above the city, so it's about two miles and most of it is uphill, in whatever the weather is doing.
What's the last ride home after the game?
A 1:30 start has you out of the stadium by about 4:45, with daylight to spare. TRAX back to Salt Lake Central is free with your ticket and runs late on Saturdays.
The only thing that won't get you home tonight is Amtrak. The California Zephyr comes through around 11 p.m. heading west toward Reno and around 3 a.m. heading east toward Denver, and neither one goes to Logan anyway.
| Going to | Last departure Saturday | Gets in | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Logan | 9:30 p.m. | 11:20 p.m. | $49 |
| Provo | 11:08 p.m. (FrontRunner) | 12:10 a.m. | covered by your game ticket |
| Ogden | 10:57 p.m. (FrontRunner) | 11:55 p.m. | covered by your game ticket |
There is one more thing worth knowing about that timetable, which is that the last train printed on it is not the last train home. Three later northbound trains turn back at North Temple and two later southbound ones stop at Salt Lake Central, so the times above are the last ones that actually reach Ogden and Provo. There is no FrontRunner at all on Sunday either, so if you miss yours, you are staying the night.
Which buses and trains get me to Salt Lake City before a 1:30 kickoff?
Aim to be at Salt Lake Central by noon. That leaves time for the TRAX ride.
| From | Saturday options | Last one that gets you in by noon | Ride | Fare |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Logan | 102 buses | 10:35 a.m. | about 1h 35m | $48 |
| Provo | FrontRunner, about hourly | 10:53 a.m. | just over an hour | covered by your game ticket |
| Ogden | FrontRunner, about hourly | 10:08 a.m. | about 1 hour | covered by your game ticket |
From Logan, the bus picks up on the Utah State campus, which is about as convenient as a bus gets. From Provo or Ogden, FrontRunner is the whole plan. Route pages: Logan to Salt Lake City · Provo to Salt Lake City · Ogden to Salt Lake City.
Where do I park at Rice-Eccles, and can I skip it?
The stadium itself would rather you skip parking. Its own parking page points you to TRAX instead, which drops off right in front of the stadium. So park at a TRAX or FrontRunner station, show your ticket, and ride in.
What can I bring into Rice-Eccles?
Rice-Eccles allows one clear bag up to 12 by 12 by 6 inches, or a one-gallon plastic storage bag, and a small clutch alongside it. Leave the umbrella, the cooler, and the outside snacks behind, and plan on staying once you're in, because there's no re-entry. Gates open two hours before kickoff. The full list lives on the stadium's guest information page.
Where should I stay if I'm coming in for the game?
With a 1:30 kickoff, most people don't stay over. Logan, Provo, and Ogden are all there-and-back trips, and the ticket covers the train home from two of them. If you want the night, stay downtown near Salt Lake Central. TRAX gets you to the stadium and FrontRunner gets you home, and the walk to dinner is flat, which is rare in this city.
Got a correction?
Locals know things we don't. If you spot a mistake here, tell us, and we'll fix it and say who helped.