Live at the Hive – ESU Tailgate Party!
Get hyped for Hornet Football at Live at the Hive—the ultimate pregame experience! We're bringing the energy with Hornet Jam Live from the parking lot featuring DJ Rusty Turner, tailgate games, food trucks, cold drinks, and special appearances from ESU Cheer, Marching Hornets, Corky, Coaches, and Alumni.
Hornet Jam Live: DJ Rusty Turner keeps the lot bumping with party hits, 80s throwbacks, country favorites, and more!
Location: Lot between Visser Hall & Kossover Family Tennis Complex
Opens: 2.5 hours before kickoff
Hornet Nation, it's time to tailgate like champs. The Hive is Alive!
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Three Ways to Live at the Hive
General Admission – Free for All Fans!
Park in designated areas and jump into the action! Enjoy Hornet Jam Live, tailgate games, food trucks and school spirit—no cost for parking, no hassle. Just show up and get loud!
VIP Experience – All-Inclusive Tailgate
Skip the setup and go full throttle with the Live at the Hive VIP Pass, which is sold by the season. Get catered eats from Emporia's best, unlimited beer & wine, and premium views of our rockin' DJ—all for just $150/season! Kids 5 and under are free.
Hive Tailgate Package – Custom Setup. All the Buzz.
Go big with a private tent for up to 250 fans! Includes discounted reserve game tickets, custom catering, and your own branded ESU setup—right in the middle of the Live at the Hive party zone.
Get More Out of Your Game Day Experience: Hornet Walk
Hornet Walk, taking place 3 hours before kickoff, begins the Hornet Football game day experience. Join the Hornets, ESU Cheer, and the Marching Hornets as they leave the team meal in the Memorial Union, walk down the pedestrian mall to Morse Drive and then into Welch Stadium.
Parking Options
To use the tailgating space as effectively as possible while creating a safe pedestrian experience, the parking area between 15th and 18th Avenues will be closed to public traffic on football game days.
Only ESU Students tailgating in front of the Kossover Family Tennis Complex, along with fans holding football game day parking passes, will be permitted in the lot. The football game day passes come with season pass orders and credentials for the President's Box.
Non-permitted parking for fans is available in the lot on the west side of campus along Merchant Street and the parking lot on the north end of campus by the Student Recreation Center.
A limited number of parking passes for the permitted parking area on the west side of Welch Stadium are available for purchase online. The cost is $30 for individual games or $120 for the full season. Deadline to purchase is 24 hours before each game. Passes must be pre-purchased.
ESU Student Game Day Experience
STUDENT PARKING: The parking area directly in front of the Kossover Family Tennis Complex is reserved for ESU student tailgating. Students who want to tailgate can park in one of the 40 designated spaces and set up their areas. Once this area is complete, students can park in the Student Recreation Center parking lot for free, then come up to join in the fun of Live at the Hive, presented by Busch Light.
WELCH STADIUM STUDENT SECTION: The official ESU student section in Welch Stadium is located in the center of the east side stands, directly behind the visiting team bench. Just look for the "ESU Students" signs with arrows on the steps.
STUDENT TICKETS: As part of the ESU Year of Celebration, general admission tickets are complimentary for all regular season games for all sports; we encourage our students and their friends and family to take advantage of the celebration and join us in cheering on our Hornets.
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Hornet Home Games - Special Attractions
8.28 Hornets vs Minot State: Blackout Game. Wear your Emporia black and be one of the first 500 fans to score a FREE blackout tee. The Live at the Hive Tailgate and game night is packed: live DJ, mechanical bull, Chi Em Eats food truck, Chick-fil-A food truck, Homegrown Coffey, and Turquoise Tavern are all part of the party. Roll into halftime with this year's ESU Half-time Contest, where someone could win $10,000—details coming soon!
9.27 Hornets vs Pittsburg State: Family Day. Bring the whole crew for the Live at the Hive Tailgate and game day packed with fun: DJ, family tailgate, axe throwing with Axe Shedd, bounce house, and face painting for the kids. Fuel up with favorites from Keke's, Homegrown Coffey, and Turquoise Tavern. Roll into halftime with this year's ESU Half-time Contest, where someone could win $10,000!
10.11 Hornets vs Missouri Southern: Little Hornet's Day. Live at the Hive Tailgate and game day are packed with things to do, including a live DJ, bounce house, activities with Hornet Disc Golf, and face painting for the kids, plus game-day bites from Chic-Fil-A, Lazy Butt BBQ food truck, Turquoise Tavern, and clothing from Classy Coope. Roll into halftime with this year's ESU Half-time Contest, where someone could win $10,000!
Little Hornets Fun Fair and more start at 8.30 am. Register here: emporia.link/littlehornetsday
11.1 Hornets vs Northwest Missouri: Homecoming. The celebration is bigger than ever at Live at the Hive and game day with a live DJ, mechanical bull, and axe throwing with Axe Shedd. Fuel up on game-day favorites from Lazy Butt BBQ food truck, Chi Em Eats food truck, and Homegrown Coffey before cheering on your Hornets. And don't forget our 10k ESU Half-time Contest!
11.15 Hornets vs Fort Hayes State: Salute to Service. Join us for the last regular season home Live at the Hive tailgate and game with live DJ, a mechanical bull, and game-day eats from Chick-Fil-A food truck, Lazy Butt BBQ food truck, Turquoise Tavern, and Homegrown Coffey.
