Okay, so I tried to find a parking spot for the Utah football game the other day. What a mess! I drove around forever. Finally, I figured out that the good spots, the ones close to the stadium, are all reserved for the big shots, the Crimson Club Athletic Fund people. I guess you have to donate a ton of money to get one of those spots.
Anyway, I didn’t donate that much, so I had to look for other options. I saw some signs for pay lots, and they wanted $10 for a regular car. They also had room for RVs and trailers, but that would set you back $40! Ouch! I also noticed that the clear bag policy is enforced at Rice-Eccles Stadium. If you want to bring something inside, it should be in a clear bag with a maximum size of 12 inches by 12 inches by 6 inches, or in a 1-gallon plastic storage bag. I didn’t have a clear bag or a 1-gallon bag, so I didn’t bring anything inside.
I thought about taking the UTA train or bus, since they were saying it’s free if you have a game ticket. But the bus stop was pretty far from where I ended up parking, and I didn’t feel like walking that far. Besides, I had already spent so much time looking for parking that I didn’t want to waste any more time waiting for a bus.
I tried finding a parking map online before I left, but the one I found was from 2021. It was pretty useless. Maybe they should update that thing.
Here’s how I finally found a parking spot:
- Drove around in circles for like 30 minutes.
- Saw the signs for the pay lots.
- Decided $10 was too much.
- Kept driving around.
- Found a spot on a side street a few blocks away.
- Parked the car.
- Walked to the stadium.
It wasn’t ideal, but at least I found a spot. Next time, I’m definitely taking the train or arriving super early to snag a spot in one of the pay lots. Or maybe I’ll just become a big shot and donate a ton of money so I can park right next to the stadium. Yeah, that sounds like a plan.
Pro tip:
Don’t be like me. Plan ahead! Check out the parking situation before you go, and give yourself plenty of time to find a spot. Or just take the train and save yourself the headache.
