Can you take a purse to a college football game?

It is fun to go to a stadium and watch a good college football game in person with friends and family. However, we like to bring things like a water bottle, perhaps some sanitary products, our phones, and other essentials with us when we attend college football games. To carry that, we need a purse or other bag, but is that allowed?

A purse or other bag can be brought to a college football game if it is clear. Security can then easily check all items in the bag, and it helps them lower the chances that someone will enter the premises with dangerous items. The NCAA has a detailed list of what people can and can’t bring.

There are many different bags you can get that can be your designated stadium bag that will hold all your essential game day items. To learn more about the clear bag policy and what you can bring into stadiums, keep reading.

Clear Bag Policy

The clear bag policy is what all stadiums are titling their safety and security bag policy, so you can safely assume that no matter what stadium you are going to, a clear bag policy will be in place.

The clear bag policy is where you are allowed to use a bag, but it must be clear and allow security to quickly and easily check it. This means that you can use a Ziplock clear plastic bag, or you can buy a stadium bag that is like a clear fanny pack or tote made with flexible yet hard plastic. These types of bags are often compared to a Ziplock gallon-sized bag.

This policy is always being adjusted and changed to keep people safe. For instance, your bag has to be clear, not tinted in a color, or covered in prints. At the stadium, you will find clear bags amongst the merchandise, but you can also go prepared ahead of time with a clear gallon-sized plastic bag or order this type of bag online.

The policy states that you can have a clear plastic tote bag that does not exceed 14″ x 14″ x 6″, a clear cinch bag that does not exceed 14″ x 16″, a clear fanny pack that does not exceed 14″x 16″, and a plastic storage bag that does not exceed 1-gallon size.

The policy also informs people that clutches about the size of a hand cannot be larger than 5.5″ x 8.5″ without a strap. These can be carried separately or inside a plastic bag. So, if you needed to bring hygiene products with you and you do not like them being on display for all to see in your bag, you can have a smaller pouch inside of your bag, or you can use a small clutch as your bag, not needing a clear plastic tote bag.

However, you can also be required to have a clear bag to put your small bag into, so just to be safe, you should get a clear bag and put a small ouch to put inside the bag. That way, security can check on it and easily see what is in the bag and the pouch without you having to have your hygiene products on display.

Not all college football stadiums allow clear bags to be brought in. There are a few college football stadiums that do not accept any bags, including the University of Michigan, Penn State, and Michigan State University. So, if you were going to one of these campuses or if you want to know if bags are allowed on your campus, call and ask stadium officials ahead of time.

If you have any medical items needing to come with you, they can work around that if you let them know ahead of time.

What Items Can and Can’t You Bring to a College Football Game?

There are many items you can bring and can’t bring to a college football game. Below is information that applies to many college football stadiums, but if you have any questions, you should call them ahead of time to see what the specific rules are in place or visit their website.

Here is a quick overview of what you can bring into college football stadiums. You can bring a clear tote, fanny pack, small bag, small messenger bag, and small cross-body bag. So long as your clear PVC vinyl bag or plastic bag fits in the size requirements for what is allowed in a stadium, you should be able to get through security with no problems. Don’t forget that you can have a small pouch to hold and organize items in that bag.

Depending on the stadium, you may not be allowed to bring in purses larger than a clutch, including backpacks, fanny packs, diaper bags, computer bags, camera bags, any large bag, briefcases, cinch bags, coolers, luggage, oversized tote bags, mesh bags, seat cushions with backs and/or pockets, or tinted or printed pattern plastic bags.

You may be allowed to bring a blanket because of cold weather, but security can check it out and search any pockets it may have. A blanket does not count as another bag or an item that is supposed to be inside your bag. This is good because during the fall and winter, college football stadiums are often quite cold.

You can bring makeup, feminine hygiene products, a phone, a portable phone battery, diapers, wipes, a camera, a wallet, keys, binoculars, a water bottle, and whatever else you feel you need to bring that could not be used to harm others. However, keep in mind that security might dump out the contents of your water bottle.

Because you can’t bring anything that can be used to harm another person inside of a college football stadium, if you have a pocket knife, pepper spray, and other items that can be used for self-defense, you should probably leave them in your car before going through security. These items are prohibited because someone with ill intentions can use them to harm others.

These rules follow the Department of Homeland Security guidelines, so if you have any questions, call the stadium you have tickets to, ask questions, and know that their rules are in place for good reason.