parking tips for kansas jayhawks mens basketball vs. byu cougars mens basketball at allen fieldhouse (lawrence ks 01/31)

figured i'd share a quick heads up for the byu game on saturday 01/31 because parking at allen fieldhouse is honestly brutal, especially for a big weekend game at 3:00 pm. the biggest issue is that almost all the closest lots (54, 71, 90, 72, etc) are strictly reserved for williams education fund permit holders, and you risk a $100 fine and towing if you try to sneak in there.

first, if you want the easiest time getting right next to the fieldhouse, check out the app prked. people in the houses nearby use it to rent out their driveways and private spots, so you can pre-book a guaranteed spot and totally skip the line and traffic mess for the official cash lots, and it's usually way cheaper too. it's the best insider move for a short walk.

for official and public parking, your main paid options are the central district garage ($35, credit card only, enter from 19th street and ousdahl rd) or the very limited public spaces in lot 90 ($35, credit card only, enter from naismith and schwegler drive). the official lots will open up 2.5 hours before tip-off, so get there by 12:30 pm if you want one of these for sure.

a cheaper, stress-free move is the park and ride at 23rd and iowa (by the old intramural fields). you park free there and then pay just $5 for the round trip bus ride to the fieldhouse. a few folks also swear by parking at lawrence high school, which is free and only about a 10-minute walk.

if you don't mind walking a little further, you can find free street parking in the residential areas south of the venue, between 19th terrace and 21st street, or on a north/south street like indiana near veteran's park. another one that people kept secret but i'll share is the hall center for the humanities lot (blue zone), which is typically free on weekends, but you always need to double check the posted signs for game day restrictions before walking away.

watch out for the neighborhood cash lots near 19th and naismith. the residents sometimes wait until about 20 minutes before the game starts to sell spots, since the free options are all gone by then. and this is super important: never, ever park on the grass or in an alley, you will get towed almost instantly, no questions asked.

for traffic, coming in from i-70 is usually best. exit at #202 (west lawrence) and follow iowa street to 15th street (bob billings parkway), then left on 15th, right on burdick, and left on irving hill rd to the fieldhouse. leaving after the game is always a nightmare, especially in the neighborhoods, so plan for a slow crawl out or consider grabbing a meal downtown to wait it out.

hope this helps you have a smoother game day experience. rock chalk.