College football season is here, which means fans of the Boston College Eagles are ready to support their team at Alumni Stadium.
While Massachusetts sports betting is legal, state gaming law prohibits wagers on in-state college teams, unless they are playing in a tournament of four or more teams. That means that Massachusetts football fans cannot bet on Boston College games during the regular season.
That being said, BC fans still have a lot to look forward to when attending games at Alumni Stadium. The Eagles kick off the 2023-24 season on Saturday, Sept. 2 with a home game against Northern Illinois. If you are planning on attending that game or any game at Alumni Stadium this season, PlayMA has you covered.
This comprehensive guide has everything you need to know about attending a Boston College football game at Alumni Stadium for the 2023-24 season.
Getting to Alumni Stadium
Alumni Stadium is located at 2604 Beacon St. in Chestnut Hill, MA. Here are some of the best ways to get there:
From downtown Boston
Alumni Stadium is a little less than 7 miles from downtown Boston. Luckily, it is a relatively easy drive.
To get there from downtown Beantown, take the Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) to Exit 17 where you will turn left over the bridge.
Then, turn right onto Centre Street. From there, drive to the fourth set of lights and turn left onto Commonwealth Ave. The stadium will be about 1.5 miles down the road.
From Logan Airport
Logan Airport is not far from downtown Boston, so the directions to Alumni Stadium are very similar.
When leaving the airport, follow signs to I-90 via the Williams Tunnel (Toll). Then, take a left over the bridge, and the first right onto Centre Street.
From there, once again drive to the fourth set of lights and take a left onto Commonwealth Ave all the way to Beacon St.
No matter where you are coming from, keep in mind that Commonwealth Ave is also known as Route 30.
Public transportation
Fans can use forms of public transportation to get to the stadium such as the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and rideshare or taxi services.
If you are using a rideshare service such as Uber or Lyft, the designated drop-off/pick-up location is at Champion Gate along Beacon Street. This location also serves as the drop-off/pick-up location for taxi services.
Parking at Alumni Stadium
The opening times for the parking lots and garages at Alumni Stadium vary depending on what day of the week the game falls on.
For Saturday games, all parking lots open four hours prior to kick-off. For weekday games, all lots open three hours prior to kick-off.
Fans can purchase single game parking passes for all Boston College home football games. These passes must be purchased in advance of the game, and will be mailed up until five days prior to game day. If you purchase your parking pass less than five days before game day, your parking pass will be sent to you digitally.
Single game parking pass locations
There are several locations for single game parking passes, both on campus and off campus.
On-campus parking is available at the following locations for Flynn Fund Members only:
- Waul House – 270 Hammond St., Chestnut Hill, MA 02467 (five minutes away)
- Brighton Lower Campus – 2125 Commonwealth Ave, Brighton, MA 02135 (10 minutes away)
Off-campus satellite lots:
- 300 Hammond Pond Parkway (seven minutes away)
- Newton Satellite – 885 Center Street, Newtown, MA (10 minutes away)
The shuttles from each of these off-campus lots drop fans off on Beacon St. right next to Alumni Stadium.
Oversize vehicle parking
Motor home (RV) parking is prohibited on the Boston College campus and in all satellite parking lots.
However, charter bus permits can be requested through the Boston College Ticket Sales and Service Department. Requests must be sent in writing to:
- Conte Forum Suite 321, 140 Commonwealth Ave, Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Keep in mind that these permits are limited. For more information, call (617) 552-GoBC or email [email protected].
ADA accessible parking
Boston College and Alumni Stadium aim to meet the needs of all fans. ADA accessible parking is available at Alumni Stadium both on and off campus.
For season ticket members, ADA accessible parking is available on the second level of the Beacon St. garage. You must have a state issued handicap placard, as well as a Boston College issued permit to park in this lot.
If you are a season ticket holder in need of a permit to park in the Beacon St. garage, you must request one through the Athletic Ticket Office. Requests can be sent via email to [email protected].
Non-season ticket members can park free of charge at 300 Hammond Pond Parkway in Chestnut Hill. Again, you must have a state issued ADA parking placard, but no Boston College permit is required.
At this location, an ADA accessible shuttle is available for all who need assistance. The shuttle will drop you off outside of Gate A at Alumni Stadium.
Tailgating at Alumni Stadium
Lower Lawn Tent Village
Located just steps away from Alumni Stadium, a premium reserved tailgate location dubbed the Lower Lawn Tent Village opened in 2021. In the tailgating area, each tent can host up to 20 guests.
Fans at the Lower Lawn Tent Village can pre-order food for pickup on game day, and can even bring their own alcohol. However, just beer and wine are permitted in the Lower Lawn Tent Village, as hard liquor is prohibited.
In addition, all beer and wine beverages must be stored in a cooler and checked by security personnel upon entry. There is a maximum of two coolers per tent.
To gain entry to the Lower Lawn Tent Village, simply present your game ticket and an email confirmation for tent entry. Once inside, you will receive a wristband so you can exit and re-enter the area.
Keep in mind that tailgating in the village ends at kick-off. For more information about purchasing tickets for a tent for the Lower Lawn Tent Village, call (617) 552-GoBC.
Shea Field
Shea Field is a fully ticketed tailgating event offered for each Boston College home football game. Fans parking and tailgating at Shea Field are required to have a separate Shea Field Access Ticket in addition to their ticket to the game.
Boston College strongly encourages fans get their access tickets prior to game day. No alcohol is permitted to be carried into Shea Field, and glass containers are not allowed.
Keep in mind that the pedestrian access bridge to Shea Field closes 30 minutes prior to kick-off, and tailgating ends when the game starts.
FanFest
FanFest is a great tailgating spot for Boston College home football games. Located outside the Margot Connell Recreation Center, FanFest opens four hours prior to kick-off on game days.
It is open to all fans free of charge, as no separate tickets are required for entry. However, you do have to show your ticket to the game.
Pregame festivities include appearances from the mascot, cheerleaders and marching band. You can also find plenty of food, drinks and inflatable games at FanFest, making it a fun experience for the whole family.
Boston College tailgating policy
No matter where you choose to tailgate, keep these tailgating policies in mind:
- Tailgating is only allowed in designated Flynn Fund parking lots.
- Tailgating is not allowed in front of the Merkert Chemistry Building.
- All tailgating must end when the game starts. No tailgating is permitted while games are in progress.
- Some postgame tailgating is allowed. Games starting after 4 p.m. do not allow for postgame tailgating, but games starting before 4 p.m. allow for one hour of postgame tailgating.
Selecting your seats
With a capacity of 44,500, Alumni Stadium is one of the smaller venues in the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, the smaller capacity helps bring each fan closer to the action.
There is not a bad seat in the house, but the most popular sections to sit in at Alumni Stadium are on the sidelines at the lower level. These sections contain up to 30 rows per section.
Boston College side
Sections A-G are located on the side of the Boston College bench.
If you want to be directly behind the Boston College bench, you’ll want to sit in sections C-E. These seats are close to the action and offer some of the most desirable views from midfield.
Visiting side
On the opposite side of the field, the visiting team bench is located in front of sections Q, R and S. Unfortunately for visiting teams, their bench is located on the sunny side of the stadium. This gives Boston College a bit of a home field advantage as BC players get to chill in the shade on the sidelines.
But if you are sitting on the visitors side, rows 35 and higher can offer you some relief from the sun.
Lower level end zone seating
If you want to be right next to the action when a touchdown is scored, you may consider sitting in the lower level behind the end zones at Alumni Stadium.
These are located in sections L-H and W-Z.
ADA accessible seating
In addition to ADA accessible parking, Alumni Stadium has designated a variety of seating locations for those needing ADA accommodations.
All ADA seats can be purchased with one adjacent companion seat. For more information, contact the BC Ticket Office at (617) 552-3000 for availability regarding disability seating.
Food options at Alumni Stadium
No outside food or drinks are allowed to be brought into Alumni Stadium. The good news is that there are a handful of concession stands and carts located throughout both Alumni Stadium and Conte Forum.
All permanent concession stands and most portable food carts accept credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express. You can even pay with Diners Club and Boston College Student ID cards. However, keep in mind that Eagle Bucks and loyalty cards cannot be used to buy alcohol.
Throughout the stadium at the various food stand locations you can find classic stadium food such as nachos, hot dogs, peanuts, pretzels, water, soft drinks, ice cream and candy.
Alumni Stadium bag policy
Alumni Stadium ticket prices
Ticket prices for Boston College football games at Alumni Stadium vary depending on the matchup and where your seat is located.
According to TicketSmarter, the average price for a ticket at Alumni Stadium for the upcoming season is $88.29. That is well below the national average for a college football ticket, which is $175.
But fans can usually find cheap tickets to Boston College football games. For example, the cheapest ticket to the home opener on Sept. 2 against Northern Illinois is $6.
Like most stadiums, seats located further away from the field are usually cheaper than seats closer to the action. Premium seats at Alumni Stadium can go for as much as $4,000 or more.
Traditions at Boston College football games
Traditions are what make college football so great, and Boston College has a few of its own. Most notably, the Eagle Walk.
Eagle Walk
Immediately following the team mass on Middle Campus, the football team will start making their way to Alumni Stadium. Fans are encouraged to greet the players and coaches as they make their journey through campus.
The Eagle Walk begins as the team walks down the stairs outside the Commonwealth Ave. parking garage. They will then walk through the Robsham Parking Lot and enter Alumni Stadium at Gate E.
The Eagle Walk begins two hours before kick-off.
Fan etiquette at Alumni Stadium
When attending a Boston College football game at Alumni Stadium, it is important to always cheer and celebrate responsibly.
Be respectful of those around you. Boston College football games are family events, meaning there are children around. Always use positive fan behavior and refrain from swearing, fighting, taunting or making obscene gestures.
When it comes to alcohol, never drink more than you can handle.
Everyone who walks through the gates at Alumni Stadium should be able to have an enjoyable fan experience. Don’t be the one who ruins it for everyone.
Boston College gear and apparel
When going to a game at Alumni Stadium, don’t forget to rep your Boston College gear.
The Boston College Bookstore has merchandise stores and stands at several locations throughout Alumni Stadium and Conte Forum:
- North and south concourse at Conte Forum
- South end zone concourse and east concourse at the 50-yard line at Alumni Stadium
- Tents at Gates D and E at Alumni Stadium
- Kiosks at Section E and Gate F on the concourse at Alumni Stadium
You can also purchase Boston College gear from the main Bookstore, which is located at McElroy Commons and Maloney Hall.
2023 Boston College Eagles home football schedule
- Sept. 2: Northern Illinois
- Sept. 9: Holy Cross
- Sept. 16: Florida State
- Sept. 30: Virginia
- Oct. 28: UConn
- Nov. 11: Virginia Tech
- Nov. 24: Miami (FL)
