Mortgage Matchup Center Game Day Guide
Phoenix Suns · Phoenix, AZ
Know Before You Go
- Bag policy
Permitted purses, medical bags, diaper bags, clutches, crossbody bags, and clear bags must fit within 14 x 14 x 6 inches; standard backpacks are prohibited.
All bags receive additional screening. Guests without bags or with a clutch smaller than 4 x 6 inches may use the faster Evolv express lanes.
- Bag storage
Mortgage Matchup Center does not guarantee storage for a rejected bag; Guest Services may decline an item or require it to be returned to a vehicle.
Prohibited items voluntarily surrendered at screening are usually not returned. Item check in the Pavilion is intended for mobility devices, strollers, and similar items that cannot fit beneath a seat.
- Gate opening
Suns door times vary by game; check the specific event page or contact the arena at 602-379-2000 or feedback@phxses.com.
- Mobile tickets
All tickets are mobile-only and must be opened in the Suns-Mercury-Mortgage-Matchup-CTR app or Ticketmaster on a smartphone, then added to a digital wallet.
The Box Office does not distribute printed paper tickets.
- Re-entry
Re-entry is not permitted for Suns games or any other Mortgage Matchup Center event.
- Prohibited items
Prohibited items include standard backpacks, weapons and knives, fireworks, illegal substances, lasers, outside food or drinks, bottles and cans, professional cameras and recording gear, artificial noisemakers, mace or pepper spray, laptops, selfie sticks, drones, and offensive masks or clothing.
Small tablets up to 8 inches are allowed at sporting events. Event requirements may change without notice, and management may reject other unsafe items.
- First aid
First Aid is on the Main Concourse across from Section 116, with paramedics and EMTs present for most events.
Notify the nearest arena team member or uniformed police officer when medical help is needed.
- Family restrooms
Family restrooms are at Main Concourse Sections 105, 111, and 117; Upper Concourse Sections 210, 211, and 222; the Jim Beam Barrel Bar and near Suite A14; and the Hideaway Bar and near Suite B14.
The Pavilion family restroom has an adult-sized changing station, and changing tables are available throughout arena restrooms.
- Tickets for children
Children younger than 36 months may enter without a ticket if they remain on a parent or guardian's lap; children age 36 months or older need a ticket.
Some events require every guest to have a ticket, so review the rule shown during purchase.
- Guest services
Guest Services is in the Pavilion at the northwest corner of the arena, immediately inside the main north entrance.
During an event, text ASSIST to 602-379-7668 or call 602-379-2060 for support. The office handles accessibility resources, lost children, item check, and lost and found.
- Service animals
Task-trained service dogs and, in some cases, miniature horses are welcome; emotional-support, therapy, comfort, and companion animals are not permitted.
- Smoking and vaping
Mortgage Matchup Center is smoke-free, and smoking is prohibited in every area of the venue.
Continued violation after a warning may result in removal.
Game Day Timeline
What the day looks like at Mortgage Matchup Center, hour by hour.
Arrive downtown
Park in a downtown garage or take the light rail. Explore Roosevelt Row or Heritage Square.
Pregame dining
Eat at one of the downtown restaurants, Pizzeria Bianco, The Arrogant Butcher, or a Roosevelt Row spot.
Doors open
Enter the arena to watch warm-ups and explore the concourse. The Suns team store is near the main entrance.
Find your seat
Settle in. The Suns' gorilla mascot and in-game entertainment are always entertaining.
Game time
Suns fans are passionate, the crowd gets loud for big plays. Total game time is about 2-2.5 hours.
Halftime break
Hit the concourse for food and drinks. The Sonoran hot dog stand is a must-try.
Post-game scene
Walk to downtown bars and restaurants, many stay open late on game nights. The light rail runs until midnight.
Tips & Fan Reports
Get to parking about 30 minutes before tip-off. Tip-off is usually 10 minutes after the advertised start time so you have a little buffer. Look out for Suns staff walking around with envelopes - they hand out courtside tickets to random fans.
Valley Metro light rail stops right at the arena - $2 and avoids downtown Phoenix traffic entirely.
Arizona weather means you can walk comfortably from bars and restaurants to the arena most of the year.
Roosevelt Row arts district (10 min walk north) has Phoenix's best independent restaurants for pregame.
October games are still hot outdoors, hydrate and dress light for the walk to the arena.
The Suns Gorilla is one of the best mascots in the NBA. Watch for his halftime show.
Winter games (Dec-Mar) have perfect weather, enjoy the outdoor pregame scene.
Only about 700 spaces sit on the property, so downtown parking is the realistic plan for most games.
Parking prices move by event: the parking office on 602-379-2003 has the figure for your night.
No tailgating policy is published, and there is no surface lot to hold one in.
Before the Game
The arena publishes no tailgating policy and holds a little over 700 parking spaces on its own property, including parking for guests with disabilities, with prices varying by event. The parking office takes calls on 602-379-2003. With that little on-site parking for a downtown Phoenix arena, most people are parking in the surrounding city lots and walking. The bag rule is middling by arena standards: no backpacks, and everything else within 14 by 14 by 6 inches.
Where to Go Before the Game
The arena lot
A little over 700 spaces in the arena lot on its own property, including parking for guests with disabilities. Prices vary by event and the parking office answers on 602-379-2003.
Known for 700+ spaces · Disability parking · Price varies by event
Downtown Phoenix lots and garages
The wider stock of city parking around the arena, which is where most people end up given how little sits on the property itself.
Known for Walking distance · Most capacity · Downtown
Pregame Rules
What Mortgage Matchup Center allows before the game, and what it does not.
- No backpacks are allowed. Bags must be within 14" x 14" x 6".
- The arena has more than 700 parking spaces on its property, including parking for guests with disabilities.
- Parking prices vary by event. The parking office can be reached on 602-379-2003.
Weather
Mortgage Matchup Center is indoor, so these are the conditions for the parking lot and the walk in, not the seats.
Across the NBA season the warmest month is October, with an average high of 89°F, and the coldest is December, when the average low is 45°F. January is the wettest month at 0.9 inches and April the driest at 0.2 inches.
That December low ranks 24th coldest of the 30 NBA venues, and January here ranks 30th wettest.
October
0.6 inchesDecember
0.7 inchesJanuary
0.9 inchesMarch
0.8 inchesApril
0.2 inchesWhat to Bring
- Only the outside food and drink the rule allows
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.
- A card or a phone wallet
Mortgage Matchup Center is cashless and accepts Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.
- A layer for the walk in
December evenings average 45°F outside Mortgage Matchup Center.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Game day timeline
Official venue page / team game day guide
- Pregame
Mortgage Matchup Center (footprintcenter.com) official site: Policies and Rules, visitors guide A-Z
- Weather
NOAA 1991-2020 Climate Normals
- Venue policies
Current Mortgage Matchup Center policy, accessibility, ticketing, parking, and dining guidance reviewed for Phoenix Suns policies.