Charter Bus Parking & Dropoff Guide to Gainesville, Florida Sports Venues & Arenas
For the best game-day experience in Gator Nation and across North Florida, knowing where your charter bus can load, unload, and stage makes all the difference! Because Gainesville
Call (352) 900-4669 for Sports Venue Shuttle Buses in Gainesville
EverBank Field (Home of the Jacksonville Jaguars)
Check out an NFL showdown with your whole group by taking a quick 90-minute trip northeast from Gainesville to EverBank Field (now EverBank Stadium) at 1 EverBank Stadium Dr, Jacksonville, FL 32202! Whether you're rallying fans for a Jacksonville Jaguars home game or heading up for the annual Florida–Georgia football rivalry, booking a long-distance charter bus keeps everyone together. Plus, with onboard WiFi, reclining seats, and an onboard restroom, the ride flies by!
Major Roadways to EverBank Field
Groups traveling from Gainesville typically take US-301 North through Waldo and Starke to I-10 East, or head up I-75 North to I-10 East straight into Downtown Jacksonville. As you approach the riverfront, I-95 and the Mathews Bridge (State Road 115) connect directly to the stadium district via the Hart Bridge Expressway and MLK Jr. Parkway (US-1 Alt). Local stadium access runs along East Bay Street, Gator Bowl Boulevard, and A. Philip Randolph Boulevard. Your driver will plan the best route to dodge highway bottlenecks so your group arrives with plenty of time to tailgate!
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at EverBank Field
Charter buses can drop off and pick up passengers along East Bay Street near A. Philip Randolph Boulevard or outside the designated stadium gates along Bryan Street. Curbside idling is strictly limited to active loading and unloading, so have your group gathered and ready to step off together. After the final whistle, coordinate via text with your driver so everyone meets at the same drop-off curb before the bus pulls up!
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at EverBank Field
Pre-purchased oversized vehicle and bus parking is available in Tailgate Lot P and Lot X near the stadium complex, which must be reserved in advance through the Jaguars ticket office. If stadium bus lots are sold out, your driver can stage off-site at commercial surface lots in Downtown Jacksonville until you call for pickup.
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
Expect heavy congestion and police-directed lane reversals on Gator Bowl Boulevard, East Bay Street, and the Hart Bridge ramps starting three to four hours before kickoff. Several streets immediately surrounding the stadium close to general through-traffic to create pedestrian zones around Daily's Place. We recommend departing Gainesville at least four hours before kickoff on Jaguars game days or Florida–Georgia weekend. Building that extra buffer ensures a completely stress-free arrival!
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium (Home of the Florida Gators)
Get online pricing in under 30 seconds for your next trip to "The Swamp" at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, located at 157 Gale Lemerand Dr, Gainesville, FL 32611! From SEC football Saturdays to UF campus tours, a private charter bus or party bus rental lets your group skip the hike from distant campus lots.
Major Roadways to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
If your group is driving in on I-75, you can exit onto West Newberry Road (State Road 26), SW Archer Road (State Road 24), or SW Williston Road to head east toward the University of Florida campus. Groups arriving from the north or east often take US-441 (SW 13th Street) or West University Avenue directly to the stadium perimeter. Gale Lemerand Drive and Stadium Road border the venue right in the heart of campus. Because game-day traffic backs up miles onto I-75, having a driver behind the wheel is a total game-changer!
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
On non-event days and prior to game-day road closures, charter buses load and unload along Gale Lemerand Drive near the Stephen C. O'Connell Center or along West University Avenue near Gate 1 and Gate 2. During peak SEC football Saturdays when inner campus roads close, drop-offs shift to designated perimeter zones along SW 13th Street or Museum Road. Always confirm your post-game meeting spot with your driver before heading into the stands!
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium
Because on-campus parking around Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is reserved for Gator Boosters during football games, charter buses typically stage and park in designated oversized vehicle zones along Hull Road near the Southwest Recreation Center or at off-site commercial lots near Oaks Mall and Celebration Pointe. Your driver will wait comfortably out of traffic and return to your agreed-upon pickup curb once your group is ready to board.
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
On UF home football Saturdays, UF Police and Gainesville PD close Gale Lemerand Drive, Stadium Road, and portions of Fletcher Drive to non-permitted vehicles starting three to four hours before kickoff. Plan to arrive in Gainesville at least three hours early to beat the gridlock along West University Avenue and Archer Road!
O'Connell Center (Home of the Florida Gators)
With one quick form on Gainesville
Major Roadways to O'Connell Center
The fastest way to reach the O'Connell Center from I-75 is via Exit 387 (West Newberry Road / SR 26), which turns into West University Avenue as you head east toward UF. Turn south onto Gale Lemerand Drive at Gate 2 of the campus entrance to pull right up to the arena. Alternatively, groups coming from south Gainesville or Gainesville Regional Airport (GNV) can use SW 2nd Avenue, SW 13th Street (US-441), or Museum Road.
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at O'Connell Center
Charter buses can drop off and pick up passengers right in the O'Connell Center North Parking Lot circular drive off Gale Lemerand Drive or along the curbside loading lane outside Gate 1 and Gate 2. Because UF TAPS enforces a strict 5-minute active loading rule along Gale Lemerand Drive, make sure your whole group is together before calling your driver in!
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at O'Connell Center
Note that the adjacent O'Connell Center Parking Garage has vertical clearance restrictions that prevent full-size charter buses and high-roof minibuses from entering the structure. For basketball games, gymnastics meets, and graduations, oversized buses are directed to surface spaces in the O'Connell Center surface lot (when permitted) or relocated to Flavet Field and the Hull Road commuter lots near the Cultural Plaza. Coordinate with UF Transportation and Parking Services (TAPS) ahead of major arena events to verify oversized staging.
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
Weeknight Gators basketball games and weekend graduations create heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic at the intersection of West University Avenue and Gale Lemerand Drive. Arriving 60 to 90 minutes before tip-off or ceremony start times helps your bus breeze through campus traffic control!
Alfred A. McKethan Stadium
Through our statewide network of independent bus companies, baseball fans and youth teams can book easy group rides to the historic site of Alfred A. McKethan Stadium at Perry Field and the Gators' modern home diamond at Condron Family Ballpark! Whether you're bringing a high school roster for a summer baseball camp or cheering on the Gators during an SEC weekend series, there's a bus in the network for YOUR headcount.
Major Roadways to Alfred A. McKethan Stadium
Both the historic McKethan Stadium site on Gale Lemerand Drive and the new ballpark on the southwest side of campus are easily reached from I-75 via SW Archer Road (Exit 384) or West Newberry Road (Exit 387). From Archer Road, buses turn north onto SW 34th Street (State Road 121) and head east onto Hull Road to reach the athletic complex. If your itinerary includes stops at the original Perry Field footprint near the O'Connell Center, Stadium Road and Gale Lemerand Drive provide direct north-south access. Your driver will navigate the campus roundabouts with ease so your players and fans stay relaxed!
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium
For events near the original McKethan Stadium plaza and the Lemerand Athletic Center, buses unload along the Gale Lemerand Drive pull-off lane just south of the O'Connell Center. For Gators baseball games down at Condron Family Ballpark, charter buses use the designated passenger drop-off loop off Hull Road near the main plaza gates. Have your team unload bats, coolers, and gear bags from the undercarriage bays promptly so your driver can move to staging. After the final out, gather your roster outside the main gate before signaling your driver to pull back up!
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at Alfred A. McKethan Stadium
Oversized charter bus parking is available in the surface lots along Hull Road adjacent to the Southwest Recreation Center and the UF Cultural Plaza. Visiting team buses are assigned dedicated stalls near the ballpark operations gate. Parking permits for tournament and game days should be confirmed with the UF Athletic Association in advance.
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
Traffic along SW 34th Street, Hull Road, and Gale Lemerand Drive spikes during Friday night first pitches and overlapping spring campus events. Temporary traffic cones and UF PD officers often restrict left turns onto Hull Road after games let out. Building 45 minutes of extra buffer time into your schedule keeps your baseball outing right on track!
James G. Pressly Stadium (Home of the Florida Gators track and field)
No matter if you're traveling with a high school track team for the famous Pepsi Florida Relays or cheering on Gators track, field, and soccer at James G. Pressly Stadium, we make team travel easy! Compare 18-passenger minibuses, 35-passenger minibuses, and 56-passenger motorcoaches with plenty of room for pole vaults, hurdles, tents, and team coolers. You can book one bus or an entire fleet in minutes!
Major Roadways to James G. Pressly Stadium
Tucked into the northwest corner of the UF athletic complex, James G. Pressly Stadium sits right along Woodlawn Drive and West University Avenue just west of Gale Lemerand Drive. Groups coming off I-75 at Exit 387 (Newberry Road) simply follow SR 26 East straight onto West University Avenue and turn south onto Woodlawn Drive or Gale Lemerand Drive. Stadium Road also connects the track facility to the rest of the UF campus corridor.
Charter Bus Drop-Off & Pickup at James G. Pressly Stadium
Team and fan charter buses can unload passengers and athletic gear along the west curb of Gale Lemerand Drive near the O'Connell Center Lot or at the designated loading area at the north end of Woodlawn Drive off West University Avenue. Because Woodlawn Drive is narrow and closes to general traffic during major meets like the Florida Relays, drivers must complete drop-offs quickly and may not idle at the gate. Keep your athletes together when the final heat wraps up so boarding takes less than five minutes!
Charter Bus Parking & Waiting at James G. Pressly Stadium
During major track invitationals and soccer matches, the immediate Pressly Stadium and Law School lots do not accommodate unassigned motorcoaches. Instead,UF event staff direct team and spectator charter buses to park along Hull Road, at the Cultural Plaza surface lots off SW 34th Street, or in designated overflow areas near Flavet Field. Your driver will remain on standby in the staging lot and can pull back up to Gale Lemerand Drive or West University Avenue in under 10 minutes. If your school is bringing multiple buses for an all-day meet, the confirmation team will verify your exact staging plan before race day!
Event-Day Closures & Traffic
During the multi-day Pepsi Florida Relays each spring, Woodlawn Drive is closed to regular traffic and West University Avenue sees heavy pedestrian crossings all day long. Plan for early-morning drop-offs before 7:30 a.m. to beat the rush of competing team buses!
Quick Tips for Gainesville, Florida Game-Day Charter Bus Groups
Keeping a few local game-day rules in mind will help your Gainesville sports trip run without a hitch! First, remember that UF campus regulations and Florida commercial guidelines strictly limit curbside engine idling to 5 minutes, so always gather your entire group and all tailgating gear before calling your driver to the loading zone.