Baseball says yes, basketball says no
Bringing your own food is the single biggest lever on a family's game-day bill, and whether you can depends almost entirely on the sport. 26 of the 30 MLB ballparks allow outside food in some form, usually a single-serving portion in a clear bag plus a sealed water bottle. 8 NFL stadiums allow it, typically food in a clear plastic bag with no bottles or cans. In the NBA it is 0 of 30 and in the NHL 1 of 32, and the arena rule is almost always a flat prohibition with an exception for medical need.
Each line below is the venue's own published rule, read on a dated day and linked from that venue's game-day guide, next to the bag rule the food has to fit inside. The counts above are counted from those lines.
NFL stadiums
| Stadium | Team | Outside food | The rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acrisure Stadium | Pittsburgh Steelers | Yes | Food may enter in a clear plastic bag, and factory-sealed plastic water or soft-drink bottles up to 24 ounces are permitted. |
| Empower Field at Mile High | Denver Broncos | Yes | Food for individual consumption and unfrozen, non-alcoholic drinks in permitted bottles no larger than 34 ounces may enter inside an approved clear bag. |
| EverBank Stadium | Jacksonville Jaguars | Yes | For Jaguars games, unwrapped outside food is permitted in one clear one-gallon bag no larger than 11 x 11 inches. |
| Huntington Bank Field | Cleveland Browns | Yes | Small food items for personal consumption may enter in a factory-sealed bag or gallon-size clear bag; outside beverages are prohibited. |
| Levi's Stadium | San Francisco 49ers | Yes | Food may enter in clear plastic wrapping or bags that comply with the stadium bag policy; fruit must be cut into pieces, and only sealed plastic water bottles are permitted. |
| Lumen Field | Seattle Seahawks | Yes | Single-serving outside food may enter in a clear plastic bag, and pizza may enter in a pizza box. |
| MetLife Stadium | New York Jets | Yes | Guests outside suites may bring food of any kind in a clear plastic bag. |
| MetLife Stadium | New York Giants | Yes | Guests outside suites may bring food of any kind in a clear plastic bag. |
| Hard Rock Stadium | Miami Dolphins | Medical need only | Outside food is allowed only for guests with special medical or dietary needs and must be in a clear plastic bag. |
| NRG Stadium | Houston Texans | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited unless the Texans approve a dietary or medical accommodation in advance. |
| Northwest Stadium | Washington Commanders | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited unless a special dietary exception is approved in advance. |
| Paycor Stadium | Cincinnati Bengals | Medical need only | Outside food is prohibited except for medical or dietary needs; unopened bottled water is permitted. |
| Raymond James Stadium | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, with exceptions for infants, toddlers, and documented medical needs arranged in advance. |
| SoFi Stadium | Los Angeles Chargers | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are prohibited except medically necessary items, infant formula or food, and the stadium's permitted water containers. |
| SoFi Stadium | Los Angeles Rams | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are prohibited except medically necessary items and the stadium's permitted water containers. |
| State Farm Stadium | Arizona Cardinals | Medical need only | Outside food is prohibited except food for a child younger than 2 or a dietary or medical need arranged before game day. |
| U.S. Bank Stadium | Minnesota Vikings | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for medical needs and the stadium's water-bottle allowance. |
| AT&T Stadium | Dallas Cowboys | No | Outside food, bottles, cans, thermoses, and beverage containers are prohibited. |
| Allegiant Stadium | Las Vegas Raiders | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited; an empty soft-sided or collapsible water bottle is permitted. |
| Bank of America Stadium | Carolina Panthers | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for up to two sealed, unflavored 16.9-ounce plastic water bottles per person. |
| Caesars Superdome | New Orleans Saints | No | Outside food and beverages are not allowed in the Caesars Superdome. |
| Ford Field | Detroit Lions | No | Outside food, beverages, and liquids are prohibited at Ford Field. |
| GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium | Kansas City Chiefs | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for one factory-sealed water bottle of 20 ounces or less per guest. |
| Gillette Stadium | New England Patriots | No | Outside food and beverages are not permitted at Gillette Stadium. |
| Lambeau Field | Green Bay Packers | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited at Lambeau Field. |
| Lincoln Financial Field | Philadelphia Eagles | No | Food wrapped in clear plastic is permitted, but bottles, cans, and beverage containers are prohibited. |
| Lucas Oil Stadium | Indianapolis Colts | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited and must be disposed of before entry. |
| M&T Bank Stadium | Baltimore Ravens | No | Food may be brought into M&T Bank Stadium in a clear plastic bag, but outside beverages are prohibited. |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta Falcons | No | Outside food and drinks are prohibited, but each guest may bring one factory-sealed, non-frozen water bottle up to 16.9 ounces. |
| Nissan Stadium | Tennessee Titans | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but one empty clear soft-sided bottle is permitted. |
| Soldier Field | Chicago Bears | No | Food for personal consumption may enter when its container complies with the NFL bag policy; beverage containers are prohibited. |
| Highmark Stadium | Buffalo Bills | Not published | Not published on the venue’s own pages |
NBA arenas
| Arena | Team | Outside food | The rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barclays Center | Brooklyn Nets | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, with exceptions for medical requirements and special needs arranged through Guest Services before the game. |
| Fiserv Forum | Milwaukee Bucks | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are prohibited unless Fiserv Forum authorizes an exception for medication or a special dietary need. |
| Frost Bank Center | San Antonio Spurs | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are prohibited except baby bottles or formula and medically necessary small snacks or sealed non-alcoholic drinks up to 8 ounces. |
| Kia Center | Orlando Magic | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, though Kia Center may make individual exceptions for medical needs. |
| Little Caesars Arena | Detroit Pistons | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for religious, dietary, or medical necessity, juice boxes accompanying children, and permitted water. |
| Moda Center | Portland Trail Blazers | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are prohibited, with exceptions for medical and child needs; child bags, bottles, and specific foods must use a bag line and x-ray screening. |
| Paycom Center | Oklahoma City Thunder | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited; guests who need food for medical reasons should arrange assistance with the arena before the event. |
| Rocket Arena | Cleveland Cavaliers | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for medical needs, baby food, and reasonable children's snacks such as crackers, raisins, or juice boxes. |
| Scotiabank Arena | Toronto Raptors | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for allergy or medical needs confirmed with Fan Services. |
| Spectrum Center | Charlotte Hornets | Medical need only | Outside food, beverages, coolers, bottles, and cans are prohibited, with limited exceptions for medical needs. |
| State Farm Arena | Atlanta Hawks | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are prohibited except plastic bottles of formula or milk for small children and medically necessary snacks approved in advance. |
| Target Center | Minnesota Timberwolves | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are generally prohibited, with exceptions for medically necessary foods or juices and milk or formula for infants. |
| Xfinity Mobile Arena | Philadelphia 76ers | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks, including water, are prohibited except for baby food, medically necessary items, and empty plastic refillable bottles. |
| American Airlines Center | Dallas Mavericks | No | Outside food and beverages, including bottles, cans, thermoses, and coolers, are prohibited. |
| Ball Arena | Denver Nuggets | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but an empty metal or plastic non-glass water bottle up to 32 ounces is allowed. |
| Capital One Arena | Washington Wizards | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but each guest may bring one empty plastic water bottle. |
| Chase Center | Golden State Warriors | No | Outside food and drinks, including bottled water and reusable bottles, are prohibited; baby food, plastic baby bottles, and formula are permitted. |
| Crypto.com Arena | Los Angeles Lakers | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, with exceptions for one unopened plastic water bottle up to one liter per guest or an empty plastic refillable bottle. |
| Delta Center | Utah Jazz | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited at Delta Center. |
| FedExForum | Memphis Grizzlies | No | Outside food and beverages of every kind, including alcohol, are prohibited at FedExForum. |
| Gainbridge Fieldhouse | Indiana Pacers | No | Outside food and drinks are prohibited, but baby formula and plastic baby bottles are permitted. |
| Golden 1 Center | Sacramento Kings | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but baby food and formula are permitted. |
| Intuit Dome | LA Clippers | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but an empty reusable water bottle smaller than one quart is permitted for the arena's refill stations. |
| Kaseya Center | Miami Heat | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited at Kaseya Center, along with coolers, bottles, cans, and other containers. |
| Madison Square Garden | New York Knicks | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited inside Madison Square Garden. |
| Mortgage Matchup Center | Phoenix Suns | No | Outside food and drinks are prohibited, but each Suns guest may bring one sealed plastic water bottle; baby bottles, formula, and other child-care items are also permitted. |
| Smoothie King Center | New Orleans Pelicans | No | Outside food and beverages are not allowed inside Smoothie King Center. |
| TD Garden | Boston Celtics | No | Outside food and beverages are not admitted under the general policy. |
| Toyota Center | Houston Rockets | No | Outside food and drinks, including glass, plastic, or metal containers, are prohibited inside Toyota Center. |
| United Center | Chicago Bulls | No | Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside United Center. |
NHL arenas
| Arena | Team | Outside food | The rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAP Center | San Jose Sharks | Yes | For Sharks games, guests may bring reasonable amounts of outside food and non-alcoholic beverages for personal consumption. |
| Benchmark International Arena | Tampa Bay Lightning | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except when needed for medical purposes. |
| Canada Life Centre | Winnipeg Jets | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for items needed for a dietary restriction, infant food or formula, an allergy, or a medical condition. |
| KeyBank Center | Buffalo Sabres | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are generally prohibited, but food or beverages required for medical purposes are permitted. |
| Little Caesars Arena | Detroit Red Wings | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for religious, dietary, or medical necessity, juice boxes accompanying children, and permitted water. |
| Rogers Arena | Vancouver Canucks | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are prohibited, but empty plastic water bottles are allowed at Canucks games and Fan Services can approve medical or special-food exceptions. |
| Rogers Place | Edmonton Oilers | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages require advance approval for an allergy, religious requirement, medical condition, or other dietary restriction. |
| Scotiabank Arena | Toronto Maple Leafs | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited except for allergy or medical needs confirmed with Fan Services. |
| Scotiabank Saddledome | Calgary Flames | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited unless an approved food-allergy or medical exception applies. |
| UBS Arena | New York Islanders | Medical need only | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, with exceptions for medical requirements or other special needs. |
| Xfinity Mobile Arena | Philadelphia Flyers | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks, including water, are prohibited except for baby food, medically necessary items, and empty plastic refillable bottles. |
| Amerant Bank Arena | Florida Panthers | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but each guest may bring one sealed plastic water bottle. |
| American Airlines Center | Dallas Stars | No | Outside food and beverages, including bottles, cans, thermoses, and coolers, are prohibited. |
| Ball Arena | Colorado Avalanche | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but an empty metal or plastic non-glass water bottle up to 32 ounces is allowed. |
| Bell Centre | Montreal Canadiens | No | Outside food and beverages, including alcohol, glass bottles, and cans, are prohibited at Bell Centre. |
| Bridgestone Arena | Nashville Predators | No | Outside food and drinks are prohibited, but an empty clear plastic water bottle up to 32 ounces is permitted. |
| Canadian Tire Centre | Ottawa Senators | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but empty refillable water bottles are permitted and filling stations are available throughout the arena. |
| Capital One Arena | Washington Capitals | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but each guest may bring one empty plastic water bottle. |
| Climate Pledge Arena | Seattle Kraken | No | Outside food, beverages, and alcohol are prohibited at Climate Pledge Arena. |
| Crypto.com Arena | Los Angeles Kings | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, with exceptions for one unopened plastic water bottle up to one liter per guest or an empty plastic refillable bottle. |
| Delta Center | Utah Mammoth | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited at Delta Center. |
| Enterprise Center | St. Louis Blues | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but guests may bring one empty plastic reusable water bottle no larger than 2 liters. |
| Grand Casino Arena | Minnesota Wild | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but an empty plastic reusable water bottle up to 32 ounces is permitted after inspection. |
| Honda Center | Anaheim Ducks | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, including filled or empty water bottles and containers. |
| Lenovo Center | Carolina Hurricanes | No | Lenovo Center does not permit outside food or beverages. |
| Madison Square Garden | New York Rangers | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited inside Madison Square Garden. |
| Nationwide Arena | Columbus Blue Jackets | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited at Nationwide Arena. |
| PPG Paints Arena | Pittsburgh Penguins | No | Outside food, beverages, and water bottles are prohibited. |
| Prudential Center | New Jersey Devils | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited at Prudential Center events. |
| T-Mobile Arena | Vegas Golden Knights | No | Outside food and beverages are prohibited, but baby bags, baby bottles, and formula are permitted. |
| TD Garden | Boston Bruins | No | Outside food and beverages are not admitted under the general policy. |
| United Center | Chicago Blackhawks | No | Outside food and beverages are not permitted inside United Center. |
MLB ballparks
| Ballpark | Team | Outside food | The rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Family Field | Milwaukee Brewers | Yes | Each guest may bring personal-size food items and one factory-sealed non-alcoholic plastic bottle of 32 ounces or less. |
| Angel Stadium | Los Angeles Angels | Yes | Guests may bring individual portions of food in a clear plastic bag no larger than one gallon and one factory-sealed clear plastic water or sports-drink bottle no larger than one liter. |
| Busch Stadium | St. Louis Cardinals | Yes | Guests may bring most food and factory-sealed clear plastic non-alcoholic beverages no larger than 2 liters. |
| Chase Field | Arizona Diamondbacks | Yes | Food is permitted when carried in an approved clear bag. |
| Citi Field | New York Mets | Yes | Wrapped food or food in soft plastic without metal silverware, unopened soft-plastic beverage bottles, and juice boxes may enter Citi Field. |
| Citizens Bank Park | Philadelphia Phillies | Yes | Guests may bring food into Citizens Bank Park as long as it fits within the current bag policy. |
| Coors Field | Colorado Rockies | Yes | Coors Field permits outside food and drinks in plastic beverage containers or permitted paper or plastic cups. |
| Daikin Park | Houston Astros | Yes | Each guest may bring one clear plastic bag of food no larger than one gallon and one factory-sealed clear plastic water bottle no larger than one liter. |
| Dodger Stadium | Los Angeles Dodgers | Yes | Outside food is allowed when carried in a clear bag no larger than 12 x 12 x 6 inches. |
| Fenway Park | Boston Red Sox | Yes | Guests may bring one sealed plastic water bottle of 16 ounces or less and special dietary food or beverages. |
| Globe Life Field | Texas Rangers | Yes | Each ticket holder may bring one sealed clear quart-size bag of food and one sealed unflavored plastic water bottle up to one liter. |
| Great American Ball Park | Cincinnati Reds | Yes | Guests may bring food, soft-sided coolers up to 16 x 16 x 8 inches, and unopened nonalcoholic drinks in sealed clear plastic bottles. |
| Kauffman Stadium | Kansas City Royals | Yes | Guests may bring an individual portion of food in a clear plastic bag up to one gallon and one sealed, unfrozen plastic water bottle up to one liter per person. |
| Nationals Park | Washington Nationals | Yes | Single-serving food may enter in an approved bag or carried by hand for screening. |
| Oracle Park | San Francisco Giants | Yes | Outside food and beverages are permitted except in Luxury Suites when carried in an approved bag. |
| Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Baltimore Orioles | Yes | Guests may bring individual portions of food and nonalcoholic beverages in one approved bag for Orioles regular-season home games. |
| PNC Park | Pittsburgh Pirates | Yes | Guests may bring food and one clear, sealed, disposable plastic water bottle up to 24 ounces into general PNC Park areas. |
| Petco Park | San Diego Padres | Yes | Guests may bring food for individual consumption when it is individually wrapped or in a single-serving, soft-sided container that follows the bag policy. |
| Progressive Field | Cleveland Guardians | Yes | Outside food is permitted after security inspection, except in premium seating areas. |
| Rate Field | Chicago White Sox | Yes | Single-serving food may be brought into Rate Field in an approved bag or carried by hand for security screening. |
| Rogers Centre | Toronto Blue Jays | Yes | Fans may bring food that is wrapped, bagged, or secured in a container that complies with the bag policy and fits under a seat. |
| T-Mobile Park | Seattle Mariners | Yes | Outside food is permitted in single-serving sizes and must be wrapped, bagged, or placed in a container. |
| Truist Park | Atlanta Braves | Yes | Each ticket holder may bring one clear gallon-size plastic bag of food and one sealed plastic bottle of water. |
| Wrigley Field | Chicago Cubs | Yes | Guests may bring a personal amount of food in a small disposable bag and factory-sealed plastic bottles into Wrigley Field. |
| Yankee Stadium | New York Yankees | Yes | Guests may bring food for individual consumption, but fruit such as apples and oranges must be sliced or sectioned. |
| loanDepot park | Miami Marlins | Yes | Each guest may bring one single-serving food item in a clear plastic bag and one clear, soft-sided, factory-sealed bottle of unflavored water no larger than 20 ounces. |
| Comerica Park | Detroit Tigers | Medical need only | Outside food and drinks are prohibited except for religious, dietary, or medical necessity. |
| Sutter Health Park | Athletics | Medical need only | Outside food is prohibited except for reasonably sized bags of peanuts or sunflower seeds and listed child, medical, and beverage exceptions. |
| Target Field | Minnesota Twins | No | Outside food is allowed at Target Field, but hard-sided containers are prohibited and outside food cannot enter bar, restaurant, or suite areas. |
| Tropicana Field | Tampa Bay Rays | No | Outside food and drinks are prohibited, except one sealed water bottle of 20 ounces or less or one empty plastic bottle or cup per ticketed fan. |
What "yes" usually means
- A portion, not a picnic. The common wording is individual or personal-size portions in a clear one-gallon bag. A cooler is a different rule, and at most venues a banned one.
- Sealed water, nothing else. Where a bottle is allowed it is factory-sealed, plastic, non-alcoholic and often capped at a size. Cans and glass are out everywhere.
- The bag rule still applies. Food that is allowed has to arrive in a bag that is allowed. The bag policy for every venue is the other half of this list.
- Medical need is honoured everywhere. Every strict venue admits food for a medical or dietary need; most ask you to see a supervisor at the gate.