Fort Cavazos families make this drive most fall Saturdays: up I-35 from Killeen, past Temple, watching the exit countdown to Waco while wondering whether University Parks Drive is already roped off for the day. Then comes the search for a lot that isn't already full, followed by a walk in the Texas heat nobody budgeted fifteen extra minutes for. McLane Stadium (1001 S MLK Jr Blvd, Waco, TX 76704) sits right on the north bank of the Brazos River, and moving a group of Baylor fans there together is a different problem than moving one car.
A charter bus or party bus out of Killeen skips the scramble. Your group boards once in Killeen, Harker Heights, or on post at Fort Cavazos, rides up I-35 together, and gets dropped along the same MLK Jr. Boulevard corridor Baylor's own shuttle buses use — while the rest of the fan base is still circling for a spot. Below is exactly how the drop-off, the parking lots, the road closures, and the pricing work for a McLane Stadium bus rental, pulled from Baylor's own published game-day rules.
For everyday sports-trip coordination out of Killeen, see the Killeen sporting event transportation page.
Why Rent a Charter Bus or Party Bus to McLane Stadium
One bus replaces a whole caravan out of Fort Cavazos, Harker Heights, Copperas Cove, or Temple. Instead of five or six personal vehicles each hunting a parking pass, splitting up at the gate, and trying to find each other again after the fourth quarter, the group rides together from the first mile marker to the final whistle.
A Killeen charter bus rental or party bus rental to McLane Stadium means your group boards once, tailgates on the drive up, and has a bus staged and ready when the game lets out — instead of forty people trying to relocate forty cars out of a lot that's already backed onto MLK Jr. Boulevard. Comparing charter bus and party bus quotes for a Baylor game day through Killeenminibuscompany.com is the simplest way to move a section of season-ticket holders, a Fort Cavazos unit group, or a tailgate group to Waco on one schedule instead of several.
Charter Bus & Party Bus Drop-Off at McLane Stadium
McLane Stadium doesn't publish one marked motorcoach gate the way some larger stadiums do — the venue seats 45,140 and runs on a shuttle-and-lot system rather than a dedicated bus entrance. But Baylor's own shuttle buses point to the answer. The Downtown Shuttle — a free partnership with Waco Transit System nicknamed "The Tailgater" — picks up at 3rd Street and Franklin Avenue, near Heritage Square and Waco City Hall, and drops riders on the south side of MLK Jr. Boulevard at I-35, the northwest corner of the stadium grounds, according to Baylor's official football directions and parking page.
That's the same general corridor a private charter bus uses to reach the stadium on foot, and it's worth confirming with the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000 ahead of a specific game so your group's exact drop point is set before you leave Killeen.
The Downtown Shuttle Corridor — Where a Private Bus Fits In
The Downtown Shuttle runs continuously starting three hours before kickoff and keeps running for one hour after the final whistle, per the same Baylor parking page. That three-hour window lines up with most tailgate plans anyway, which makes it a useful benchmark: aim for a Killeen pickup roughly four hours before kickoff, and your group is on MLK Jr. Boulevard with tailgate time to spare before Baylor's own shuttle service even starts running.
Two other shuttle routes show where the rest of the stadium's foot traffic converges on a Saturday. The Ferrell Center and Speight Garage shuttles both drop riders at the I Believe Walkway starting two hours before kickoff, and the BRIC Shuttle — reserved for ADA parking — runs from 100 Research Parkway to a stop near Gate C starting four hours before kickoff. Every one of those routes ends in foot traffic funneling toward the same handful of entrances, which is exactly why dropping your group early, ahead of that peak, saves real time.
McLane Stadium Parking Lots, RV Tailgating & the Bus-Parking Reality
On-site parking at McLane Stadium splits into two tiers. Lots 1 and 2 and the Gold Lot are assigned, reserved spaces tied to season parking; Umphrey Law School, Ferrell Center, Dutton Garage, and Speight Garage are unassigned, and a limited run of single-game passes goes on sale through BaylorBears.com/tickets "while inventory lasts," per Baylor's parking page. None of those lots are built around motorcoach staging — they're sized for personal vehicles, and a 40- or 56-passenger charter bus circling a reserved lot for an open space is exactly the scenario a bus rental exists to avoid.
Off campus, downtown Waco holds roughly 1,800 free parking spaces within five miles of the stadium, and a paid lot between Seventh Street and Orchard Lane, directly across from the stadium, runs up to $20 a car, according to Visit Waco's Baylor game day guide. That $20-a-car math adds up fast for a group arriving in five or six personal vehicles — a private bus turns that into one flat rate instead of a stack of separate parking charges.
RV tailgating at McLane Stadium is reserved for Bear Foundation members holding a season-long RV tailgate pass, and Baylor's tailgating partner REVELxp handles group tailgate packages at 254-870-0950. A charter bus isn't competing for that RV space at all — it drops your group at the corridor, and the undercarriage bays carry the coolers and folding chairs instead.
ADA Parking and Drop-Off at McLane Stadium
ADA parking is limited to the BRIC lot at 100 Research Parkway, first-come, first-served, for $25, and a valid ADA placard or plate is required to enter, per Baylor's parking page. The BRIC Shuttle then carries riders to a stop near Gate C. If your Killeen group includes riders who need that accommodation, ADA-accessible vehicles can be requested through Killeenminibuscompany.com — note it in the quote request so the right vehicle is arranged ahead of the trip.
Road Closures and the Drive from Killeen to McLane Stadium
University Parks Drive, from the Baylor Law School to Bagby Avenue, closes three hours before kickoff and stays closed until one hour after the game ends, per Baylor's football directions and parking page. That's the road running along the stadium's south side, and it's the one out-of-town transportation providers most often don't expect to find closed on the way in.
From Killeen, the drive to McLane Stadium runs up US-190/I-14 East to I-35 North, through Temple, and into Waco — roughly 40 miles and under an hour outside of game-day traffic. That last stretch, where I-35 traffic funnels toward the MLK Jr. Boulevard exit, is where the trip slows down on a Saturday, right as University Parks Drive is closing off one of the stadium's approach roads.
| From… | Approx. distance | Typical drive time (off-peak) |
|---|---|---|
| Killeen | ~40 miles | 50–60 minutes |
| Fort Cavazos (main gate) | ~45 miles | 55–65 minutes |
| Harker Heights | ~42 miles | 50–60 minutes |
| Copperas Cove | ~50 miles | 60–70 minutes |
| Temple | ~30 miles | 30–40 minutes |
With a bus, that last-mile crawl and the closed road become someone else's routing problem instead of yours. The bus takes I-35 to the MLK Jr. Boulevard exit, works around the University Parks Drive closure, and drops your group along the same corridor Baylor's own shuttle uses — while personal vehicles are still hunting for one of the last open spaces in Dutton Garage or Speight Garage.
McLane Stadium Charter Bus Rental Prices
Killeenminibuscompany.com shows quotes online in under 30 seconds, and pricing for a McLane Stadium run is shaped by a handful of clear factors: vehicle size, total hours (including tailgate time and the post-game wait), the date, and the mileage from your Killeen-area pickup point. To give you an idea, a half-day booking out of Killeen typically prices around a 40- to 50-mile round trip with several hours of standby time built in — the fastest way to get an exact number for your date is to call 254-325-2410 or use the online quote tool. Prices vary by season and demand, so treat any figure here as a starting point for planning, not a quote.
A Baylor Game-Day Example
To give you an idea: a 35-person tailgate group books a 35-passenger minibus out of Harker Heights for a 7 p.m. kickoff. Pickup is at 2:00 PM, the group is dropped along MLK Jr. Boulevard by 3:15 PM — under four hours before kickoff and ahead of the Downtown Shuttle's own three-hour window — and the bus stages nearby until an agreed pickup time after the final whistle. An 8-hour booking at that size might land somewhere around $1,800 to $2,200 — roughly $55 to $65 a person — with the I-35 drive, the parking search, and the ride home all folded into one number.
Check the Killeen bus rental prices page for a broader sense of how vehicle size and trip length move the total.
What Size Bus Fits Your Baylor Game-Day Group
Not every McLane Stadium trip out of Killeen looks the same, and Killeenminibuscompany.com connects you to a range of vehicle sizes through a large network of bus companies serving Killeen so you're not paying for seats you don't need. Full details are on the vehicle lineup page.
| Vehicle | Typical seats | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Sprinter van | Up to ~14 | Suite groups or a small family tailgate group |
| 15–35 passenger minibus | ~15–35 | Fort Cavazos unit groups, alumni chapters, a mid-size tailgate |
| Party bus | ~15–50 | A rolling tailgate on the drive up I-35 |
| 40–56 passenger charter bus | Up to 56 | Season-ticket sections, church or school groups, large reunions |
| School bus | Varies by group | Youth football camps and school field trips to a game |
A 35-passenger minibus rental covers most Fort Cavazos unit groups and alumni chapters comfortably, with room left over for coolers and folding chairs. For a full section of season-ticket holders or a church group making a day of it, a Killeen charter bus rental adds undercarriage bays for tailgate gear and an onboard restroom for the ride home. For a smaller group heading up for a single game, a Killeen party bus rental keeps the tailgate going from the moment the bus pulls out of the parking lot.
The Downtown Waco Shuttle vs. a Private McLane Stadium Party Bus Rental
Killeenminibuscompany.com is a comparison site, so here's an honest look at how the shuttle options stack up against a private bus for a group.
| Option | Cost | Arrive together? | Best group size |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private charter or party bus | One flat rate, split by the group | Yes — one vehicle, one drop | 15–56 |
| Downtown Shuttle ("The Tailgater") | Free, if parked downtown | Only if the group parks and boards together | Small groups in 1–2 cars |
| BRIC / ADA Shuttle | $25 lot pass | Only for ADA-placard vehicles | 1–2 cars needing accessibility |
| Drive and park on-site | Reserved lots by pass; unassigned lots first-come | No — caravans split up | 1–2 cars |
For a couple riding up from Temple, the free Downtown Shuttle is the easier call — no reason to book a bus for two people. But once a Killeen group grows past a couple of cars' worth of people, the coordination cost of separate vehicles — different arrival times, a scramble for the last unassigned spaces, and nobody agreeing where to meet after the game — tips toward one bus fast. That's the group this guide is written for.
Tailgating Rules at McLane Stadium
A charter bus works well as a tailgate vehicle for a Killeen group — the undercarriage bays hold the coolers and folding tables, and everyone rides home together afterward. A few rules to know before your group sets up near McLane Stadium:
- Campus is dry. Alcohol is not allowed or sold on campus itself, according to Visit Waco's game day guide, with beverage tailgating pushed to designated riverside lots rather than the campus grounds directly around the stadium.
- Bring your own water bottle. Guests may carry in one unopened water bottle or an empty non-metal bottle, and free refill stations are set up around the concourse, per the same Visit Waco guide.
- RV tailgating needs a season pass. RV spots are reserved for Bear Foundation members with a season-long RV tailgate pass; group tailgate packages for everyone else run through REVELxp at 254-870-0950.
- Touchdown Alley is the student scene. Student and general tailgating cluster in Touchdown Alley, directly adjacent to the stadium, so plan your group's meeting spot away from that foot traffic if you're staging bags or gear.
Leaving McLane Stadium After the Game
The exit is where a bus earns its keep. University Parks Drive stays closed for a full hour after the final whistle, the Downtown Shuttle keeps running for that same hour, and large numbers of fans are funneling toward the same handful of unassigned lots at once. Personal vehicles parked in Dutton Garage or Speight Garage sit in that queue along with everyone else.
With a private bus, your group agrees on a pickup window and a meeting point along MLK Jr. Boulevard before the game ever starts, and the bus is staged nearby and ready when the crowd releases. Instead of hiking back to a downtown lot or waiting out the shuttle line, your group climbs aboard and heads back down I-35 toward Killeen while everyone else is still working out of the parking garage.
What's on the Calendar at McLane Stadium
Baylor's 2026 home slate gives Killeen groups a full fall of reasons to book. Confirmed home dates at McLane Stadium, per the official Baylor Bears football schedule, include Prairie View A&M on September 12, Louisiana Tech on September 19, Colorado on September 26, TCU on October 17, Iowa State on November 7, and Texas Tech on November 21. Kickoff times for several of the Big 12 dates were still being finalized at publication, so it's worth checking the schedule page again as your date approaches.
Conference dates like the TCU and Texas Tech games tend to draw the biggest crowds and fill the unassigned lots earliest, which is exactly when a Killeen group benefits most from locking in a bus ahead of time rather than the week of the game. Also planning a trip to Moody Center or the Heart O' Texas Fair & Rodeo? Those guides cover their own drop-offs.
Frequently Asked Questions About McLane Stadium Bus Rentals
Where does a charter bus or party bus drop off at McLane Stadium?
McLane Stadium doesn't publish a dedicated motorcoach gate, but Baylor's own Downtown Shuttle drops riders on the south side of MLK Jr. Boulevard at I-35, the northwest corner of the stadium grounds — the same general corridor a private bus uses. Confirm your group's exact drop point with the Baylor Athletics Ticket Office at 254-710-1000 ahead of your date.
Where do buses park during the game?
McLane Stadium's on-site lots (Lots 1, 2, and the Gold Lot for assigned parking; Umphrey Law School, Ferrell Center, Dutton Garage, and Speight Garage for unassigned single-game passes) are sized for personal vehicles, not motorcoach staging. A private charter or party bus typically stages nearby and returns for an arranged pickup rather than sitting in one of those lots for the whole game.
How much does parking cost at McLane Stadium?
Off-campus paid parking between Seventh Street and Orchard Lane, across from the stadium, runs up to $20 a car. Downtown Waco also has roughly 1,800 free spaces within five miles, mostly a 15-minute-plus walk. ADA parking at the BRIC lot is $25, first-come, first-served.
What roads close on Baylor game days?
University Parks Drive, from the Baylor Law School to Bagby Avenue, closes three hours before kickoff and reopens one hour after the game ends, per Baylor's official parking page.
How early should our group arrive?
Aim to be dropped roughly three to four hours before kickoff. That puts your group on MLK Jr. Boulevard ahead of the Downtown Shuttle's own three-hour window and gives everyone tailgate time before University Parks Drive closes.
What size bus fits our group?
A Sprinter van covers a small suite group of up to about 14. A 15- to 35-passenger minibus fits most unit or alumni groups. A party bus keeps a rolling tailgate going for 15 to 50 riders, and a 40- to 56-passenger charter bus is the right call for a full season-ticket section or a school and church group.
What shapes the price of a McLane Stadium bus rental?
Vehicle size, total hours booked (including tailgate and post-game wait), the date, and mileage from your Killeen-area pickup point all factor in. Call 254-325-2410 or use the online quote tool for an exact number.
Is there a shuttle or public transit option instead of a private bus?
Yes. Baylor's free Downtown Shuttle runs from 3rd Street and Franklin Avenue, and the Ferrell Center and Speight Garage shuttles drop at the I Believe Walkway. All are useful for a couple riding up from Temple or Waco itself, but none coordinate pickup for a Killeen group traveling together in one vehicle.
Can our group tailgate with a bus?
Yes. The stadium grounds themselves are dry, with beverage tailgating pushed to designated riverside lots, and RV spaces are reserved for Bear Foundation season pass holders. A charter bus carries coolers and folding gear in its undercarriage bays and can stage nearby while your group sets up.
What's the bag and water bottle policy at McLane Stadium?
Guests may bring in one unopened water bottle or an empty non-metal bottle, with free refill stations around the concourse.
Is there an ADA-accessible option?
Yes. McLane Stadium's ADA parking is the BRIC lot at 100 Research Parkway ($25, first-come, first-served, placard required), with a shuttle to a stop near Gate C. ADA-accessible vehicles can also be requested through Killeenminibuscompany.com — note it in your quote request ahead of your trip.
How far is McLane Stadium from Killeen?
About 40 miles up US-190/I-14 to I-35 North, roughly 50 to 60 minutes outside of game-day traffic. Fort Cavazos, Harker Heights, and Copperas Cove all run a similar or slightly longer drive.
How far in advance should we book a bus for a Baylor game?
As soon as your date is set, especially for the bigger conference dates like TCU and Texas Tech, which fill the unassigned lots earliest and pull the most demand on vehicles serving Killeen. For most other dates, a couple of weeks of lead time is workable, but earlier calls get better vehicle options.
Book Your McLane Stadium Bus Rental Today
A Killeen group headed to Waco doesn't need to caravan, hunt for an unassigned parking space, or wait out the post-game shuttle line. Killeenminibuscompany.com connects you to a large network of bus companies serving Killeen so your group can compare charter buses, party buses, minibuses, and Sprinter vans for a McLane Stadium run and get a drop point along the same corridor Baylor's own shuttle buses use. Call 254-325-2410 any time for a price quote, or use the online quote tool for availability on your date.
