What Should I Bring to a Football Game

One press picks one thing to pack for game day, with a line on why.

Seat cushionBleachers feel harder with every quarter.

Next step No team colors? Pick a color to wear Draw a snack for the game

How it works

Press the button for one of 67 things to bring to a football game: for the gate, the stands, the parking lot, a cold night and rain or sun. The whole list is below.

Read the full guide

Check the bag rule first

Stadiums and schools set their own rules on bags, bottles, umbrellas, seat backs and food from home, and this list cannot know yours. Read the rule on the venue's own page before you pack. Where a line says to check, that is why.

If you bring only five things

Your ticket, a charged phone, a way to pay, a layer for when the sun goes down and something soft to sit on. The rest depends on the weather and on whether you are tailgating first.

Going with a group? Agree on a place to meet after the game before anyone goes in.
Check the forecast for kickoff and for the final whistle, not for noon.

Questions and answers

What should I bring to a high school football game?

A ticket or cash for the gate, a cushion or blanket for the bleachers, a warm layer for after dark and money for the snack stand. Bring your student ID if you have one.

What should I bring to a cold football game?

A blanket to sit on, hand warmers, gloves, a knit hat, wool socks, waterproof boots and a windproof jacket over thin layers. A hot drink can wait in the car if it is not allowed in.

What should I bring to a tailgate?

Chairs, a cooler with ice, water and soft drinks, food that is ready to eat, a table, a trash bag and a game to play. For a dish to share, see what should I bring to a barbecue.

What should I not bring to a football game?

Anything on the venue's list of banned items. Look there for umbrellas, seat backs, large bags, noisemakers and outside food and drink before you pack them, and leave at home anything you would hate to lose.

All 67 things to bring

To get in 9

Bag that fits the stadium's bag rule Look the rule up first. It decides what else on this list can come in.
Fully charged phone Tickets, photos and finding your people afterwards all run on it.
Note of your section, row and seat A screenshot still opens when the ticket app will not.
Parking pass or money for the lot Put it on the dashboard before you join the line of cars.
Payment card and a little cash You will not know which one the snack stand takes until you reach the front.
Photo ID Keep it with your ticket in case a ticket window or a student gate asks for it.
Pocket phone charger For the fourth quarter, when the battery icon turns red.
Student ID, for a school game Ask at the gate whether it changes the price.
Tickets, saved to your phone Save them at home, so the gate does not hang on a weak signal.

For the stands 18

Binoculars For the far end zone and the band at halftime.
Cap with a brim For the low sun of a late afternoon kickoff.
Comfortable shoes There is more walking and standing than a seat number suggests.
Earbuds for the radio call Hear the commentators explain the flag you could not see.
Earplugs, or ear muffs for small children A band, a horn and a full student section are loud up close.
Folding stadium seat with a back Check that the venue lets them in. A flat cushion is the fallback.
Lanyard or a zip pocket for small things Keys, cards and tickets stay put when you jump up.
Light jacket for after dark An afternoon kickoff can end as a cold evening.
Pack of tissues For noses, spills and a seat that is still wet from the morning.
Pom-poms or a foam finger A way to cheer when your voice is gone.
Roster, saved on your phone Numbers mean more with names beside them, most of all at a school game.
Seat cushion Bleachers feel harder with every quarter.
Shirt in your team's colors Sitting with the other side as a guest? Ask your host before you dress.
Sign to hold up Keep it small enough that the row behind you can still see the field.
Small bottle of hand sanitizer For the moment between the handrail and the nachos.
Snacks from home, if they are allowed Check first. If they are not, eat at the car before you go in.
Sunglasses One side of the field faces the sun, and it may be yours.
Water bottle Check whether it has to be empty, sealed or clear to get through the gate.

For the parking lot 18

Bean bag toss set A game that fits in one parking space.
Chips and a jar of salsa The snack that does not mind a morning in the trunk.
Cooler packed with ice Keep it in the shade of the car.
Dry socks and spare shoes, left in the car The drive home is better with dry feet.
Folding chairs One each, and a spare for the friend who finds you.
Folding table Food at table height stays off the bumper and out of the dust.
Football to throw The pregame warm-up everyone joins.
Jumper cables For the car that played the radio all afternoon.
Pack of wet wipes For hands after the food and before the gate.
Plates, cups and a roll of paper towels The paper towels do more jobs than anything else in the trunk.
Pop-up canopy Ask whether the lot allows one, and weigh the legs down.
Portable grill, if the lot allows one Read the lot's rule on grills before you load it.
Pot of chili in an insulated carrier Ladle it into cups and nobody needs a table.
Sandwiches or wraps made at home Wrap each one, so they hand around without plates.
Speaker for the pregame show Keep it low enough to talk over.
Team flag for the car It is also how you find the car after the game.
Trash bag for your parking space Leave the space as clean as you found it.
Water and soft drinks Bring enough to share with the car parked beside you.

For a cold game 12

Fleece headband It fits under a cap when a knit hat would not.
Gloves you can clap in Thin enough to clap in and to hold a hot drink.
Hand warmers One for each glove, opened on the walk from the car.
Hot chocolate in an insulated bottle Check whether it can come in. If not, it waits in the car for after the game.
Knit hat that covers your ears In team colors it does two jobs.
Lip balm Small, and badly missed on a windy night.
Scarf It turns into a face cover when the wind finds your row.
Stadium blanket Sit on half and pull the other half over your knees.
Thin thermal layer It fits under a jersey, where a big coat would hide it.
Waterproof boots For the slush between the car and the gate.
Windproof jacket with a hood The top rows catch the wind first.
Wool socks Your feet will thank you by halftime.

For rain or sun 10

Cloth to wet and wear on your neck Soak it at a water fountain when the afternoon heats up.
Dry shirt, left in the car For the drive home after a wet second half.
Handheld fan For the early games of the season, played in summer heat.
Plastic bag to sit on The seat stays wet long after the rain stops.
Rain jacket with a hood Your hands stay free for a drink and a high five.
Rain poncho It covers you and your seat, and blocks nobody's view.
Small towel Wipe the seat before you sit and your hands before you eat.
Sunscreen A small tube, for a day game with no shade.
Umbrella for the walk from the car Leave it in the car unless the venue's list says it may come in.
Zip bag for your phone Your ticket lives in the phone, so the phone stays dry.