Where to park, tailgate near the stadium on the big day

If you’re planning to attend Monday’s College Football Playoff National Championship game, here are a few things you should know about parking and tailgating.

Parking lots surrounding the stadium will open at 10:30 a.m. Monday; gates open at 5:30 p.m. In order to avoid frustratedly driving around the stadium looking for parking on game day, drivers should purchase a spot in advance through Parkmobile. Prices for available spots during the championship ranged from $23 to $100 on Jan. 4.

Stadium officials stress that drivers should use its partner Waze as a navigation service because it will give directions to a specific parking garage entrance, instead of just to the lot’s address. Using Waze, drivers only need to type in the lot name — not the address.

Tailgating is allowed in designated parking lots, such as the notorious and poised-for development Gulch area that sits below Philips Arena and stretches to Five Points. Tailgating is prohibited in multilevel garages.

See which lots allow tailgating at parking.mercedesbenzstadium.com/lot_info.

If you don’t drive but still want to tailgate, there are some alternative options — in addition to the affordable food and beer that can be found inside the gates.

Fans can go to the parcel of land known as Georgia International Plaza, which will be open today and Sunday prior to the game and at 10 a.m. Monday. Located on Andrew Young International Boulevard near Philips Arena, it’s where fans will be able to zip line and participate in freefall stunt jumps.

There’s also the Front Porch, a 61,000-squarefoot plaza on the stadium’s grounds inside security.

Finally, here are a few tailgating rules to keep in mind:

■ Vehicles may take up only one parking space, and tailgating equipment may not extend beyond the parking space.

■ Grills, chairs, coolers and other equipment may not take up a parking space.

■ Adjacent landscaped areas are common areas and may not be claimed exclusively.

■ Trash should be thrown away in appropriate receptacles and coals should be disposed of in coal containers provided in the lots.

CONTRIBUTED BY BRANDEN CAMP Fans tailgate before the Southeastern Conference championship college football game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Auburn Tigers last month.