Maryville College Homecoming 2026: The Scots' Free Family Football Weekend (Oct 23-25)
Maryville College Homecoming 2026: The Scots' Free Family Football Weekend (Oct 23–25)
One of the best-kept secrets for a cheap family Saturday in Maryville is a Maryville College home game. The Fighting Scots play at Honaker Field right here in town, admission is free all season, and on Homecoming weekend even the parking is free. That's a bargain hard to beat this time of year.
The dates: Homecoming is Friday, October 23 through Sunday, October 25 on the Maryville College campus. The main event for most families is the Saturday football game — the Scots host Berry College on October 24 at 1:00 PM.
The location: Honaker Field and Lloyd L. Thornton Stadium sit at 502 E. Lamar Alexander Pkwy, toward the back of campus near the Cooper Athletic Center and Scotland Yard.
Why it's a good one for kids: - Free admission to all regular season home games. No ticket to buy, no price sticker shock. - Free parking on Homecoming day. Regular season home games charge $15 a car ($50 for a season pass), but Homecoming is the exception with no parking charge. - The Scots Walk — fans line the route as the team makes its way from McArthur Pavilion to the Cooper Athletic Center, about 2 hours 10 minutes before kickoff. It's a fun, high-energy way to kick off the day, and little ones love seeing the players up close. - General admission bleacher seating on both sides, so there's no fighting over assigned seats.
What to know before you go: - Gates open about 90 minutes before kickoff; concessions open about an hour before the game. - The stadium allows only clear, empty water bottles from outside — everything else comes from the concession stand. No coolers, no outside food or drinks. - Only service pets are allowed inside the complex, so leave the family dog at home. - Tailgating is allowed only in the designated athletic field parking lots and the overflow Brown lot behind the Cooper Athletic Center. No open flames or charcoal grills — propane grills are fine.
If you're going with preschoolers: bring ear protection if your kids are sensitive to noise, and expect to move around a lot. The game is an afternoon kickoff (1:00 PM), so it fits around naps better than a night game. Pack snacks in the car for the ride home, and be ready to make a few laps around the concourse when the little ones get squirmy.
All of this is a stroll or a short drive from downtown Maryville, so you can pair the game with a walk to the square or an early dinner after. For a $0 family outing that still feels like a real fall Saturday, Homecoming at the College is hard to beat.