Shuttles available for gameday travel to and from Ole Miss vs. Texas A&M game

Published 5:00 am Friday, November 17, 2017

With large crowds expected in Oxford as the Ole Miss Rebels take on Texas A&M Saturday, visitors and residents are encourages to use the various shuttles available around town to get them safely to and from the game that has a 6 p.m. kick-off.

Oxford-University Transit will have two buses running every 15 minutes starting at noon. The buses will pick up from the Jackson Avenue Center near the Old Oxford Mall and stop about two hours after the game. The University funds the game-day shuttle service.

The OUT shuttles are free of charge; however, transit officials ask everyone to visit the OUT website, www.oxfordms.net/visitors/gameday-shuttle-service.html, to read the rules of what items are allowed or not allowed to be carried onto the buses, including backpacks, track bags, tents, pets and large coolers over 40 quarts.

Email newsletter signup

Another option for parking allows riders to park at Oxford High School or FNC Park. The price to park is $20 for one vehicle with eight or fewer passengers; $40 per vehicle with nine or more passengers and $300 for buses. The shuttles will begin at 6 a.m. with two buses at each site until 7:30 a.m. when full service with 10 buses at each site kicks in.

City shuttle locations will close in the first quarter and the lots will be barricaded off and no entry will be allowed

The Double Decker buses will run from the Square to campus and back before the game at no charge, starting at noon and run for two hours after the game ends. The bus picks up from in front of city hall and drops off at the old Observatory by the Grove.

Backpacks and track bags will also not be allowed inside the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium as part of the new clear bag policy being implemented by Ole Miss.

Under the policy, the following bags are permitted inside the stadium:

* Bags that are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and do not exceed 12-inches by 6-inches by 12-inches

* One-gallon clear plastic freezer bags (Ziploc bag or similar)

* Small clutch bags, with or without a handle or strap, that do not exceed 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches (approximately the size of a hand).

* An exception will be made for medically necessary items after proper inspection at a gate designated for this purpose.

Prohibited bags include, but are not limited to: purses larger than a clutch bag; briefcases; backpacks, cinch bags, and fanny packs that are not clear and/or exceed the size restriction; luggage of any kind; computer bags/cases; camera bags/cases; binocular bags/cases or any bag larger than the permissible size.

Gameday visitors to campus who have a permit to park on campus will be permitted to enter campus from any campus entrance except those on Gertrude-Ford Boulevard. Permit holders must park only in the lot type that matches their permit designation.

City taxi pick-up and drop-off will be located at the intersection of Old Taylor Road and University Avenue. Uber pick up and drop off is located at the JAC lot, with the JAC shuttle then transporting to campus. No other locations on the city streets are for pick-up or drop-off. If traffic is disrupted a ticket will be cited. There will be no SafeRide on the university campus Saturday night.

After the game, OPD asks all drivers to be cautious of police officers directing traffic in the road at the intersection of Jackson Avenue and Highway 6. Drivers on Hathorn Road will not be able to exit at Chucky Mullins; they must go to West Jackson Avenue. Old Taylor Road traffic will have to take Belk Boulevard to South Lamar Boulevard.

“Please be patient as we trust the police officers to direct traffic for optimum traffic flow,” East said.

Fixed routes will continue until traffic is flowing. Parking on grass or where the curb is yellow is illegal and vehicles will be towed.

Long-term parking is discouraged on the downtown Square. Meters will be programmed to only allow someone to pay for three hours at a time.

If someone wants to park longer, they cannot pay any more money until the meter runs out after three hours.

For more information, follow Oxford Police Department on Twitter @OxfordPolice and Facebook, tune in to AM1630, FM93.7 and FM105.1 for game and traffic updates, or call the Oxford Police Department at 662-232-2400.