ASU football kicks off its season this Thursday night at Mountain America Stadium, and students are gearing up to pack the stands. For the new Sun Devils, this game day guide provides the basics on how to successfully tackle a football game from the fan section.
Accessing student tickets
Accessing tickets can be troublesome for students, especially those who haven’t accessed them before. Students can get free tickets by following the steps below:
- Students should open the Sun Devil Gameday app downloaded on their mobile phones.
- They should navigate to the three bars on the top left corner of the screen. Upon clicking the bars, students should scroll down and click on "Student Tickets" and then select "Claim Tickets"
- Students will be prompted to click on a Ticketmaster button and log in with their ASU email.
- Students will see Thursday’s game pop up on the screen, where they can select one student pass ,and a $25 guest pass if needed, and can proceed to check out.
Don’t wait until game day to access tickets – instead, check Ticketmaster at the beginning of game week. Sometimes the games sell out, and nobody wants to deal with a classic Ticketmaster crash two hours before the game. Also, be sure to add the ticket to your Apple Wallet to make for an easier experience while entering.
Student section
The student section is located on the south end of the stadium. Alcohol is not allowed in the student section even if you are of legal drinking age.
Seating is first come, first serve, so if you want to sit close to the action, plan on arriving early. Student tickets are the only tickets that can get you into the student section.
What to bring
Mountain America Stadium is a cashless venue, so students will need to have a card or use mobile payment in order to access goods at the concession stands. Mountain America Stadium’s bag policy allows three different types of bags inside, those being a clear bag no larger than 12" x 6" x 12", a clear one-gallon plastic bag, or a small clutch bag no larger than 4.5" x 6.5". You may bring a seat cushion as well; however, it cannot have pockets or zippers and must be 18" or smaller in width.
No outside food or drink is allowed in the stadium. A full list of the prohibited items not allowed into Mountain America Stadium can be found here.
Attire
Even though the game is at night, it’s going to be hot. Students will be sweating profusely, and by halftime, the student section will look like it has taken a shower.
New students will receive a couple of free shirts in the first few weeks as a reward for attending welcome events, which makes for an easy way to showcase Sun Devil spirit at the games.
Transportation
The main parking lot for Mountain America Stadium is located on the north side, with parking wrapping around the east side as well. There are multiple garages within walking distance of the stadium – however, the cost of parking will likely be expensive.
For those who can, taking the Valley Metro Light Rail can be a fantastic option. The Veterans Way/College Ave stop is the closest stop to Mountain America Stadium, located a very short walk west of the south end of the venue.
If you are coming from another ASU campus, using the ASU shuttle system can get you to the main Tempe campus for the game. Shuttles also run every 15 minutes on weekdays, and every two hours on weekends on most campuses. Shuttle schedules can vary depending on the day.
Pregame spots
Preparing to go out before a game can be an essential part of the night for students. If you’re of age, popular sports bars include spots such as Devil’s Advocate on University Drive and Zipps Sports Grill on Mill Avenue.
For new students who may not be 21 yet, Tempe has plenty of spots to get a bite to eat before the game. Culinary Dropout and Postino are both popular sit-down restaurants with a lot of food options.
Below are all the home games for the 2023-24 season. Rinse and repeat this guide for every game at the stadium. There is also a promotional night for every home game.
- Thursday, August 31st: 7:00 PM v. Southern Utah
- Saturday, September 9th: 7:30 PM v. Oklahoma State
- Saturday, September 16th: 7:30 PM v. Fresno State
- Saturday, September 23rd: v. USC
- Saturday, October 7th: v. Colorado
- Saturday, October 28th v. Washington State
- Saturday, November 18th v. Oregon
- Saturday, November 25th v. Arizona
Edited by Vinny Deangelis, Sadie Buggle and Caera Learmonth.
Correction: The previous version of this story used the ASU app to access tickets instead of the new Sun Devil Gameday app. The story has was updated on Aug. 29 at 8:45 a.m. to reflect the error.
Reach the reporters at kmichal3@asu.edu and jeigo@asu.edu and follow @kat_m67 on X.
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