Coming to Bloomington for IU vs. Ohio State? What to Know Before Saturday

Indiana hosts Ohio State on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at noon at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, and the game is on FOX. It's the first meeting since IU beat Ohio State 13-10 last December, so expect a full town all weekend. If you're driving in, plan your parking, give yourself extra travel time and expect rooms in town to be hard to find.

Lesa Miller is a REALTOR® and broker in Bloomington, Indiana, who helps buyers and sellers across Monroe County and the surrounding towns. Here's what I'd tell a friend coming in for the game.

When are the game, the lots and the gates?

Kickoff is noon Saturday. IU Athletics says its parking lots open a minimum of five hours before kickoff. The IU Athletics app has the full game day schedule, and IU has a clear bag policy worth reading before you pack.

Can you still buy parking?

Not the easy way. IU Athletics says prepaid parking for the 2026 season is sold out, and grass lot passes must be bought in advance. They can't be bought at the gate on game day. If you don't already have a pass, plan where you'll park before you leave home, and expect to walk.

How bad will traffic be?

Visit Bloomington puts it plainly: expect travel time to be longer than what GPS estimates. Their advice is to arrive a day early or come in very early on game day.

The stadium lots are reached from East 17th Street, Indiana Avenue, Dunn Street and East 13th Street, so those will be the slowest roads Saturday morning and after the game. If you live here and don't have a ticket, I'd run Saturday errands on the other side of town or wait until Sunday.

Where should you stay?

If you don't have a room yet, it's probably too late to get one in Bloomington. The few rooms left in town this weekend are very expensive. Look a little outside town instead. Bedford, Martinsville and Spencer are all a reasonable drive. Visit Bloomington's Visitors Center at (800) 800-0037 also keeps track of what's still open on special event weekends.

If you camp, Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park Camp-Resort at Lake Monroe, south of town, is another option. I don't know whether it's full this weekend, so check before you count on it.

What if you fall for the town?

It happens every fall. People come in for a game, walk around downtown and start wondering what it would be like to live here. If that's you, my post Thinking About Moving to Bloomington? Start Here Before Looking at Homes is a good place to begin.

If you're wondering what game days mean for living or owning near campus, IU Football Is Back: What Game Days Mean for Property Near Campus covers it, and Which Bloomington Neighborhoods Make Sense When You're Buying Near IU? walks through the areas close to campus.

Frequently asked questions

What time is the IU vs. Ohio State game?

Noon Eastern on Saturday, October 17, 2026, at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington. It's on FOX.

When do parking lots open for IU football?

IU Athletics says its lots open a minimum of five hours before kickoff.

Can you buy IU football parking on game day?

Grass lot passes must be bought in advance and can't be bought at the gate, and IU says prepaid parking for the 2026 season is sold out.

Can you still find a hotel in Bloomington this weekend?

Probably not. The few rooms left in town this weekend are very expensive, so look in nearby towns like Bedford, Martinsville and Spencer. Visit Bloomington's Visitors Center at (800) 800-0037 tracks what's still open on special event weekends.

Coming in for the game and thinking about Bloomington for good? Call or text (812) 360-3863, or visit LesaMillerRealEstate.com/Links.