H.A. Chapman Stadium: Guide for Visiting Fans

Tulsa is a driving city — there's no light rail, no subway, and the stadium is not served by the Aero BRT line that runs along Peoria. MetroLink, the city's transit bus operator, runs buses on 18 different routes across Tulsa, with two main stations: the Memorial Midtown Station in Midtown and the Denver Avenue Station downtown across from the BOK Center. For the stadium specifically, the closest stops are at 11th St & Florence Ave and Harvard Ave & 8th St, served by Routes 112, 130, 140, and 440. However, evening and weekend service is limited — MetroLink operates Monday through Saturday from early morning to early evening, and when daytime service winds down around 6:30 p.m., MicroLink takes over offering flexible evening rides. On game day Saturdays, check MetroLinkOK.org before relying on bus service after dark.

The stadium is at 3112 East 8th Street on the University of Tulsa campus , and is easily accessed by car via US-169 or the I-44 corridor. From the highway, exit onto Harvard or Yale and head toward 8th Street. Tulsa International Airport (TUL) is about 8 miles northeast — in normal traffic, budget 15–20 minutes. Rideshare (Uber/Lyft) works well for arrival; just be specific with your drop point and aim for the east side of campus near Florence Ave.

Rideshare: This is Tulsa, not a transit city. Rideshare is your best post-game option if you're not driving. Expect surge pricing immediately after the final whistle — often 1.5–2x. The move is to walk two or three blocks off campus toward 11th Street or Harvard Ave before requesting your ride. Waiting 15–20 minutes inside a coffee shop or bar on the perimeter will often drop your fare significantly. Request around minute 10–15 post-game.

Driving: The lots west of the stadium (Lorton Village side) empty toward 8th Street, which feeds naturally onto Harvard and then onto the highway. The east side lots push toward Florence and then to 11th — if you're heading downtown or to Cherry Street post-game, the east exit is cleaner. Realistic time to clear the immediate campus and reach a moving road: 20–30 minutes for most lots, shorter if you parked on a peripheral street. Don't rush the first 10 minutes; just let it breathe.

Bus: MetroLink operates Monday through Saturday until early evening, and when daytime service winds down around 6:30 p.m., MicroLink takes over for flexible evening rides. For night games, MicroLink is your only transit option — plan that trip in advance using the GoPass app. Bus frequency post-game is not event-adjusted like larger city systems.

Best tip: If you're driving, skip the lot rush entirely and walk to Cherry Street for a post-game drink. Leave the car in the lot — Tulsa's not going to tow you — have one more beer at Kilkenny's, and come back 45 minutes later to an empty exit lane.

Parking at Chapman is manageable but requires some advance planning now that it's gone fully digital. All parking for football is digital — fans are encouraged to download their parking passes before arriving on game day. Don't show up expecting a cash lot and a paper ticket; that era is over.

ADA parking is available in the south corner of the Lorton Village Parking Lot west of the stadium and in the Lafortune Lot off 8th Street, from Harvard Ave north of the Reynolds Center. For general fans, the lots closest to the west sideline fill first and command a premium; the lots further east near Harvard Ave offer a shorter walk than they look on a map — it's a flat campus and 10 minutes gets you most anywhere. Single-game permits typically run in the $15–25 range when purchased in advance through the TU athletics site; prices creep up for marquee matchups. Arrive at least 90 minutes early if you want to tailgate and not stress about the walk. Street parking on residential blocks around the campus is possible but gets picked over fast for 11 a.m. and noon kickoffs.

Your best play is booking in Midtown, specifically along the 21st Street corridor near Utica Square. Bar Serra is right there at Utica Square , the grocery stores are walkable, and you're about a 10–15 minute drive from the stadium without dealing with downtown hotel prices or parking. The Hampton Inn & Suites Tulsa/Central and La Quinta Inn Midtown both sit in this zone and regularly come in under $130/night on non-peak weekends.

If you want to be walking distance from pregame bar action, look at hotels near Cherry Street (15th Street between Peoria and Utica) — it's about 10 blocks from the stadium. You won't walk to the game, but you can walk to dinner and back after. Cherry Street in the Northern Midtown area is a foodie's playground boasting around 20 restaurants, many locally owned, and makes for the perfect late-night bar crawl. Downtown hotels are fine but add 15+ minutes of driving on game day.

Kilkenny's Irish Pub (1413 E. 15th St.) is the default pregame stop for visiting fans who know what they're doing. It offers traditional Irish fare from sandwiches to fish dinners plus drinks and brunch in a classic dark-wood setting, and serves as one of the nation's top-rated Irish pubs. It's got the game on, it's got enough beer options to keep you busy, and it doesn't feel like a tourist trap.

Andolini's Pizzeria (1552 E. 15th St., Cherry Street) is the move for the pregame meal. Andolini's serves "Tulsa Style" pizza and Italian dishes featuring homemade mozzarella cheese, and has been named the Best Pizza in Oklahoma by Food Network. Bring a group, split a few pies, go light — you'll want to be comfortable in those bleacher seats.

Roosevelt's (1542 E. 15th St.) is the gastropub for fans who want something beyond beer and nachos. It functions as a warm urban gastropub with an impressive tap wall of 80 beers and inventive food sourced from local Oklahoma farms, and their in-house bakery provides fresh bread and baked goods. Service can be slower on game days, so build in time.

Cheever's Cafe (2453 E. 15th St.) is the local institution for a proper sit-down dinner post-game. Located on Cherry Street, it specializes in contemporary comfort food with Southwest influences, serving prime steaks, fresh seafood, and wonderful salads. The seafood tamales are genuinely excellent and this is a great wind-down spot if your team pulled off the upset.

Beyond the surrounding options, Chapman Stadium itself offers plenty of food and drink to keep fans fueled.

Food and beverages are available in two different areas: older basic concession stands inside the stadium infrastructure, and food concessions on the stadium grounds in the plaza. Cash is accepted at concession stands — a rarity in the college football world, so you're not forced to tap your card for every beer. The signature drink to try is the Tulsa Golden Lager, launched in partnership with Marshall's Brewing Company, available at concessions throughout the stadium. Budget roughly $8–10 for a domestic beer, $11–13 for the Golden Lager or craft options, and $10–15 for a combo meal. It's mid-major pricing — not NFL-wallet-draining, not suspiciously cheap.

The bag policy is strictly enforced, so do not show up with a regular backpack and expect to argue your way through. Bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and cannot exceed 12" x 6" x 12". Each ticketed attendee may bring one large clear bag — either a one-gallon Ziploc-style bag or a bag not exceeding 12"×6"×12" — plus a small clutch purse no larger than 4.5"×6.5". The clutch does not need to be clear.

Prohibited items include bags larger than 12"×6"×12", firearms or weapons of any type, camcorders, umbrellas, folding chairs, outside food and beverages, alcoholic beverages, thermos jugs, and ice chests.

Students can enter through Gate 5, 90 minutes prior to kickoff. For general visitors, gates open at the same time — plan to arrive right at gate open if you want a full tailgate and to get settled. Visiting team ticket will call is located at Gate 6 on the northeast corner of the stadium — that's your first stop if you're picking up mobile tickets or will call. Away fans typically cluster on the east side; the northeast corner Gate 6 area is where you'll feel most comfortable coming in.

Special entrances are provided at Gates 1, 1A, 6A, and 7 for guests with special needs and disabilities. ADA parking is available in the south corner of the Lorton Village Parking Lot west of the stadium, and in the Lafortune Lot off 8th Street from Harvard Ave north of the Reynolds Center.

The stadium has a press box elevator, and wheelchair access is rated as fair. The "fair" rating is worth noting — the facility dates to 1930 with renovations, so it's not purpose-built for modern ADA standards throughout. If you have specific mobility needs, contact TU Athletics in advance at (918) 631-2395 to confirm accessible seating availability in your preferred section. Assistive listening devices may be available through the guest services desk; call ahead to confirm.

With 30,000 seats and a compact layout, there genuinely aren't many bad seats in this building. H.A. Chapman Stadium is an open-air stadium , so every seat gets weather — bring sunscreen for afternoon games and a layer for night games in October and November.

Away fans tend to cluster on the east side of the stadium, in and around the upper sections behind the visitor sideline. The east stands give you a good sightline to both end zones and enough separation from the denser home crowd sections on the west sideline. Avoid the very back rows of the west upper deck — the press box blocks some sightlines and you'll be looking across at the home faithful. The student section is small and generally sits near the band in the corner opposite the home team's sideline — factor that in when picking seats, as the band corner can be noisy in a specific way that doesn't carry everywhere. For away fans, the east sideline lower bowl in the 100s is the sweet spot: great views, close to the field, easy concourse access.

Away fans making the trip should note that their experience extends well beyond simply finding the right seat.

Visiting Chapman Stadium as an away fan is genuinely one of the more relaxed experiences in the AAC. The crowd's demographic consists mostly of older alumni, season ticket holders, and local fans with children — and the fans that represent Tulsa football love their Golden Hurricane and are supportive each home game. That said, polite is not the same as indifferent — if the visiting team's section is vocal and the game is close, the fans get into a contest as to which side is louder. The thing that catches away fans off guard: the stadium sits on Route 66 and the surrounding Midtown neighborhood is genuinely beautiful on a fall Saturday — it feels more like an Ivy League afternoon than a Sun Belt slugfest. Come a little early, walk the campus perimeter, and appreciate that not every away game has to feel like a siege.

What buses serve H.A. Chapman Stadium?

The closest stops are at 11th St & Florence Ave and Harvard Ave & 8th St, served by MetroLink Routes 112, 130, 140, and 440. Check MetroLinkOK.org for current schedules before game day — evening/weekend service is limited.

What is the bag policy at H.A. Chapman Stadium?

Bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and cannot exceed 12" x 6" x 12". A small non-clear clutch up to 4.5"×6.5" is also allowed. No backpacks, regular purses, or fanny packs.

How much does parking cost at Chapman Stadium? Digital parking passes typically run $15–25 for single-game lots, with premium spaces closer to the stadium on the higher end. All parking is digital for the 2025 season — download your pass before arriving on game day.

When do gates open at H.A. Chapman Stadium?

Gates open 90 minutes prior to kickoff. Plan to arrive right at gate open if you want time to find seats and grab concessions without a rush.

Where is visiting team will call located?

Visiting team ticket will call is at Gate 6 on the northeast corner of the stadium. That's also a natural gathering point for away fans.

Does H.A. Chapman Stadium accept cash?

Yes — cash is accepted at concession stands. Cards and mobile pay are also accepted. This makes it the exception among college football venues.

What year did H.A. Chapman Stadium open?

The stadium opened on October 4, 1930 as Skelly Field. It was renamed H.A. Chapman Stadium after a complete renovation completed in 2008.

What is the playing surface at H.A. Chapman Stadium?

The playing surface underwent a complete renovation in May 2025 — after seven years with the old turf, the new FieldTurf surface now features a larger midfield logo and "Tulsa's Team" along the sideline.