Flying into Bloomington for an Indiana University home game means you land without a car, and your parking plan has to be locked before you touch down — not after you're standing at baggage claim wondering how to get to Memorial Stadium. Here's the exact sequence to book parking flying into Bloomington for IU football, from flight booking to walking up to your spot.
- Book your Crimson Lots parking pass before your flight, not after landing at BMG or IND.
- Crimson Lots spots sit within a 15-minute walk of IU Memorial Stadium — no shuttle needed.
- Reserve online in one tap; day-of passes exist too but sell out fastest on rivalry weekends.
- A no-show attendant is on site every game to check you in and handle problems in real time.
Why this matters
Fans flying into Bloomington skip the drive but inherit a different problem: no rental car reservation covers a guaranteed parking spot for game day, and rideshare pricing near Memorial Stadium spikes hard once kickoff gets close. If you're landing at Indianapolis International and driving the last hour to Bloomington, or flying directly into Bloomington's small regional airport, you still need ground transportation and a place to park that vehicle once you arrive.
The fans who show up without a booked spot end up circling side streets 40 minutes before kickoff, which is exactly the scenario a guaranteed parking pass is built to prevent. Crimson Lots reserves your spot ahead of time so your only job on game day is showing your pass and walking in.
What you'll need
- A confirmed flight itinerary (Indianapolis International or Bloomington's regional airport)
- Ground transportation booked for the airport-to-Bloomington leg — rental car, shuttle, or rideshare
- A reserved parking pass purchased through Crimson Lots before game day
- Your digital pass saved to your phone or printed as backup
- 30-45 minutes of buffer time before kickoff to park and walk in
The steps
1. Lock your flight dates against the IU football schedule first
Check the home game date before you book anything else. Flying in the night before a night game gives you more room to relax; flying in morning-of for a noon kickoff is tighter and leaves less margin for delays.
Common mistake: booking a flight that lands within two hours of kickoff. Add buffer — flight delays are common and Bloomington ground transport isn't instant.
2. Decide which airport you're flying into
Indianapolis International (IND) is the bigger airport with more flight options, roughly an hour's drive to Bloomington. Bloomington's own regional airport is smaller with fewer routes but drops you within minutes of campus. Your parking plan differs depending on which one you use — check the guide for fans flying into Indianapolis if IND is your route.
3. Arrange ground transportation from the airport to Bloomington
Rental car gives you the most control and means you'll need a parking spot once you arrive in Bloomington. Rideshare or shuttle service works too, but confirm availability for game weekends — demand for rides into Bloomington spikes on home Saturdays and cars get scarce.
Common mistake: assuming rideshare will be available and cheap near game time. Prices surge and wait times stretch past 30 minutes on busy Saturdays.
4. Reserve your parking pass online before you land
This is the step that actually solves the problem. Book a reserved spot through Crimson Lots ahead of your trip — it's one tap online, and your spot is guaranteed within a 15-minute walk of Memorial Stadium. You don't need to know your exact arrival time to lock in the reservation; you just need the game date.
Common mistake: waiting until you land to check for parking. Reserved spots for marquee games and rivalry weekends go first, and walking up without a plan means you're competing with everyone else who didn't book ahead.
5. Save your pass and confirm the walk route
Once you've booked, save the digital pass to your phone and screenshot it in case you lose signal near the stadium. Look up the route from your lot to the gate before kickoff morning — check the best route to your parking spot so you're not guessing on foot in a crowd.
6. Build in a buffer for your final leg into Bloomington
Whether you're driving a rental from Indianapolis or riding in from the regional airport, plan to arrive at your lot at least 45 minutes before kickoff for marquee games. Traffic around Memorial Stadium tightens fast in the hour before a 2026 home game, and a rented car unfamiliar with local streets adds time you don't want to lose.
Common mistake: cutting arrival time to the wire because the flight landed on schedule. Ground delays between the airport and the stadium area are the more common problem, not the flight itself.
7. Park, show your pass, walk in
Pull into your reserved Crimson Lots spot, show your pass to the attendant on site, and you're done. No searching, no circling, no negotiating with a stranger in a field. This is the entire point of booking ahead — the last step is the easiest one.
Lock your spot before you fly
Reserve a guaranteed Crimson Lots spot near Memorial Stadium in one tap.
Troubleshooting
My flight got delayed and I'll land close to kickoff. Your Crimson Lots reservation holds your spot regardless of what time you arrive at the lot — it's not tied to a check-in window, so a late landing doesn't cost you the spot.
I didn't book ahead and I'm already in Bloomington. Day-of passes exist, but availability shrinks fast on rivalry weekends and homecoming. Check day-of parking for walk-up fans as soon as you land rather than waiting until you're near the stadium.
My plans changed and I can't make the game anymore. You can transfer or resell a booked pass instead of eating the cost — the process is straightforward and doesn't require canceling outright.
I'm not sure my rideshare will show up in time. Build a 20-30 minute buffer into any rideshare plan on game day; drivers reroute around stadium traffic and pickup times slip during peak arrival windows.
I landed at Indianapolis and I'm worried about the drive. The hour drive from IND to Bloomington is straightforward on game weekends, but leave earlier than you think you need to — traffic backs up on the final stretch into town starting two to three hours before kickoff.
Tools and resources
- Crimson Lots — reserve a guaranteed spot within a 15-minute walk of Memorial Stadium
- Reserve a parking pass in advance — the full booking walkthrough
- Parking for fans flying into Bloomington's airport — airport-specific route notes
- Your airline's flight tracker, checked the morning of the game
- The IU football schedule, to confirm kickoff time before booking flights
What to do next
Once your flight and parking are locked, the next decision is whether you're buying a pass for one game or planning for the whole season. If you're flying in for multiple home games, buying day-of passes game-by-game costs more hassle than booking ahead once and repeating the process each trip.
FAQ
How do I book parking flying into Bloomington for IU football?
Reserve a guaranteed spot through Crimson Lots online before your trip, using just the game date — you don't need a confirmed arrival time to lock in the reservation. The spot holds regardless of flight delays.
What's the best airport for IU football fans flying in?
Bloomington's regional airport is closest to campus but has fewer flight options; Indianapolis International has far more routes but adds about an hour of driving. Either works as long as ground transportation and parking are booked ahead of kickoff.
How far is Crimson Lots parking from Memorial Stadium?
Crimson Lots spots sit within a 15-minute walk of IU Memorial Stadium, close enough to skip a shuttle entirely.
Can I buy parking the day of the game if I didn't book ahead?
Day-of passes are available, but they sell out fastest on rivalry weekends and homecoming, so book online before landing whenever possible.
What happens if my flight is delayed and I land late?
A reserved Crimson Lots spot isn't tied to a specific check-in time, so a late landing doesn't forfeit your parking. Just head straight to the lot when you arrive.
Is it better to rent a car or use rideshare from the airport?
A rental car gives more control over timing but means you need your own parking spot booked ahead. Rideshare avoids the parking question but gets scarce and expensive close to kickoff on game weekends.
Can I transfer my parking pass if my travel plans change?
Yes, passes can be transferred or resold rather than wasted if you can no longer make the game.
Does Crimson Lots have an attendant on site?
An attendant is on site every game to check passes and handle any issues in person, not through an app or call center.
One last thing
The detail most fans miss isn't the flight or the parking spot — it's the last mile between the airport and the lot. Book your Crimson Lots pass first, then work backward to your flight and ground transport, and the whole trip stops feeling like a logistics puzzle. Run by a local, with a name and number on every pass, Crimson Lots exists precisely so flying fans don't have to gamble on a parking spot the morning of a 2026 home game.
