Everything You Need to Know about Saturday's Badger Game at Lambeau

LSU and Wisconsin will face off in the Lambeau Field College Classic, on Saturday, September 3, at Lambeau Field. Kickoff is 2:30 PM.

College football returns to Lambeau Field on Saturday with the Lambeau Field College Classic, presented by Carmex®.

Those visiting Lambeau Field for the first time or returning for the first time in several years are encouraged to visit packers.com/carryin to learn more about the stadium’s carry-in and safety policy.

Game attendees are reminded that no bags or purses will be allowed inside Lambeau Field unless they are clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and are no larger than 12” by 6” by 12”. Small clutches that do not exceed 4.5” by 6.5” are permitted. Stadium cushions are also not allowed, however, stadium seats and stadium pads that contain no pockets or zippers and are 18” wide or smaller are allowed.

Prior to the College Classic, ESPN College GameDay will broadcast live from Lambeau Field. The set will be located in front of the Brown County Arena on Oneida Street. The visit marks the weekly show’s first visit to Lambeau Field, and will broadcast from 8 to 11 a.m. CT on ESPN. Fans are invited to attend the live broadcast and should arrive early in order to be a part of the show.

The Lambeau Field parking lot will open at 10:30 a.m., along with the Coors Light Tailgate Party. The party will take place in an expanded Tundra Tailgate Zone area, which will include an Outdoor Beer Garden and music stage in the stadium’s east side parking lot near the Oneida Nation Gate. Free to the public, the tailgate areas will have Saz’s food and beverages for sale and live music from Cold Sweat & the Brew City Horns. The game will be shown on a large screen video board nearby.

Stadium gates will open at 12:30 p.m. The University of Wisconsin marching band will play prior to the game and at halftime, and following the matchup, will perform the “Fifth Quarter.” Honorary captains and Packers alumni, Mark Tauscher and Jim Taylor, will take part in the coin toss. Tauscher is a Wisconsin alumnus, and Jim Taylor is an LSU alumnus.

Skylar Stecker, an actress and singer, will perform the national anthem. Her father, Aaron Stecker, is a Green Bay native and played for the Wisconsin Badgers before going on to an NFL career in which he played for Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Atlanta. Additionally, two Madison-based F-16 jets will perform a flyover.

At halftime, three contestants will participate in a ‘Punt, Pass, Kick’ contest. If successful, the three will split a grand prize of $100,000. The participants were randomly selected for the contest through the ‘Carmex® $100,000 Football Relay Challenge,’ which also provided the winners with two game tickets, airfare, hotel accommodations, $1,000 in spending money.

A Wisconsin-based company founded in the 1930s, Carma Laboratories, Inc., is a third-generation family-owned and operated business in Franklin, Wis., that produces Carmex® brand lip balms and cold sore treatment products that are sold around the world. The Lambeau Field College Classic, presented by Carmex®, is the company’s first major sports sponsorship.

As LSU and Wisconsin fans travel to Lambeau Field for the game, motorists also are reminded to allow extra time and expect delays, as I-41 and adjacent roadways near the stadium are under construction. The latest traffic updates and potential trouble spots throughout Wisconsin are listed at http://www.511wi.gov/. For more gameday information, please visit packers.com/gameday.

Traffic Worries:

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation Northeast Region is alerting motorists heading to Lambeau Field on Saturday that I-41 and adjacent roadways from Oneida Street north to Lineville Road in Brown County are under construction. Significant delays are expected near the stadium. Potential traffic trouble spots near Madison, Milwaukee County and in Northeast Wisconsin are listed below.

The game will create increased traffic impacts on traffic operations Friday and Saturday, as Badger and LSU fans travel to Northeast Wisconsin, and holiday and commuter traffic hit the road for the long weekend. Both college teams’ fan bases travel exceptionally well to away games, and traffic is expected to exceed that of a Green Bay Packer football game. WisDOT also expects a very large number of RVs and motor homes traveling in and around Green Bay for the game. Local residents not attending the game are urged to use local/alternate routes on gameday.

WisDOT encourages those traveling to the game to pre-plan their trip. People using motor homes are urged to reserve a parking spot in advance. Parking is limited at the stadium, as much of the stadium parking lot will be used to accommodate pregame events. Increased RVs and motor vehicles could significantly slow traffic on local streets around the stadium, and on state highways and interstates in Brown County. Other tips include using alternate routes (including east side interchanges), adjusting your leave to ensure you reach the destination on time, and following the traveler information on the message boards.

Near Lambeau Field

I-41, WIS 172 and I-43 could experience significant backups near the stadium on gameday, as could the I-41 interchanges at Oneida Street, WIS 172 and I-43. Barrier walls, orange barrels, and narrow lanes will affect travel.  Due to the I-41 Project construction, Ashland Avenue through De Pere and Ashwaubenon will also experience increased traffic congestion as additional motorists use this as an alternate route. The heaviest congestion is expected four hours before and after the game, and Friday evening. Friday evening work commuters should strongly consider using alternate routes off the state highway system.

Below is a list of the major highways in northeast Wisconsin, Milwaukee and Madison most Badger fans and LSU fans will be traveling as they head for Lambeau Field, and the road conditions they should anticipate. Note: Holiday work restrictions will be in place, but traffic control devices will still be present.

I-41 mainline

Barrier wall, narrow lanes, short merge distances and orange barrels will be present at various locations.

• Brown County: Drivers will encounter 11-foot travel lanes and reduced shoulders in multiple locations along a 10-mile segment of highway. The speed limit is reduced to 55 mph between Grant Street and Lineville Road. Temporary barrier wall at various locations will cause traffic to slow.
• Winnebago County: Drivers will encounter reduced speed limits on I-41 near the US 10/WIS 441/I-41 interchange. Drivers should also watch for reduced lane widths and reduced shoulder widths on northbound and southbound I-41.

WIS 172 and I-41/WIS 172 Interchange

Motorists should expect heavy congestion and potential long delays at the I-41/WIS 172 interchange and on WIS 172 in Brown County from I-43 to the WIS 172/I-41 interchange before and after the game. Motorists should consider alternate routes if possible.

• Eastbound WIS 172 to northbound I-41 ramp is closed.
• Detour: Eastbound WIS 172 traffic seeking northbound I-41 will be detoured off at Vanderperren Way, take Vanderperren Way west to Holmgren Way, follow Holmgren Way east to westbound WIS 172 ramp and take westbound WIS 172 to northbound I-41.
• There is construction at the on and off-ramps from WIS 172 at County YY (Pilgrim Way) in Ashwaubenon. This WILL back up traffic exiting WIS 172 at the Oneida St. exit. The ramps are open, but traffic is only allowed to go west on County YY (Pilgrim Way).

I-43/I-41 interchange - Brown County

• The new system-to-system interchange is OPEN. Travelers can use the northbound I-43 (over the Leo Frigo Bridge) to southbound I-41 ramp to access interchanges on Green Bay’s west side for travel to Lambeau Field.
• Pay attention to new signage and lane configurations, as many drivers will be traveling the new interchange for the first time.
• Use of this interchange is highly recommended as an alternative to WIS 172.   

I-41/Velp Avenue interchange - Brown County

• Full closure of I-41 entrance and exit ramps at Velp Avenue
• Full closure of Velp Avenue under I-41

WIS 441, US 10 and Roland Kampo Bridge - Winnebago, Outagamie and Calumet counties.

• Drivers should be aware of orange barrels, narrow lanes, barrier walls and reduced speed limits.
• US 10 eastbound between County CB and I-41 northbound is reduced to a single lane.

US 141, Marinette County

• US 141 southbound is closed in the village of Wausaukee from WIS 180 to north village of Wausaukee limit. A detour using local streets is posted.

The majority of LSU fans and downstate Badger fans heading to the game will travel via Dane County and/or Milwaukee County. Most fans will use either I-43 through Sheboygan, Manitowoc, and Brown counties, or I-41 through Fond du Lac, Winnebago, Outagamie and Brown counties, when traveling through northeast Wisconsin to Lambeau Field. Here are some potential trouble spots further away from Lambeau Field.

Milwaukee County – Zoo Interchange lane closure

• I-41/I-894 northbound has a lane closed at National Avenue.
• ?There are frequent backups and delays associated with this closed lane. Friday afternoon sees the longest delays often exceeding 15 minutes. Limited impacts to traffic are expected Saturday morning.

Dane and Rock counties - I-39 and I-90

• Two lanes will remain open in each direction on I-39/90, between Beloit and Madison, during the Labor Day weekend; however, there are active work zones throughout the 45 mile section of Interstate.
• Barrier wall, narrow lanes, short merge distances and orange barrels will be present.
• Motorists are encouraged to plan ahead and allow additional time when traveling through this area.
• Backups and delays occur on I-39/90 northbound on Friday afternoons and I-39/90 southbound on Sunday afternoons/evenings due to heavy traffic volumes, especially during the summer months and holidays.
• For any fans traveling during the week, nighttime single lane closures occur on I-39/90 northbound and southbound Interstate in work zones between 8 p.m. and 5 a.m. Monday through Friday.

Apparel & Collectibles

As Lambeau Field gears up for the Lambeau Field College Classic, presented by Carmex, the Packers Pro Shop is featuring exclusive apparel and collectibles to commemorate the event.

Exclusive only to the Packers Pro Shop, a wide variety of College Classic apparel, glassware and other souvenir items are offered to help celebrate this first-time event at Lambeau Field. The merchandise is now available, and will be sold for a limited time.

Items featuring the College Classic logo range from t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats to collectibles such as a pin, program book, mini helmet, lanyard and pennant. Various mugs, pint glasses and other glassware are also available.

Additionally, a new selection of officially-licensed Wisconsin apparel is now for sale, including several varieties of high-quality jackets, sweatshirts, polos and t-shirts, as well as red and white striped gameday bibs.

A select amount of LSU apparel is also available, including a line of t-shirts, polos, sweatshirts and purple and yellow striped gameday bibs.

Several pieces can be purchased online at PackersProShop.com, but the full selection can be found only in the store.

Fans can find more information at packers.com/collegeclassic.