The NFL’s clear-bag rule is shared. The food and water rule is not. A factory-sealed bottle that is fine at MetLife can be the wrong size, the wrong drink, or banned entirely somewhere else. The table below uses each venue’s own guide, checked September 24, 2026. It is a sample of buildings with a public written policy, not a league-wide waiver.
Every venue still applies the NFL bag limit: one clear bag up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches, or a one-gallon clear freezer bag, plus one small non-clear bag up to 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Medical items are inspected. Diaper bags are prohibited unless the venue carves out a clear-bag exception. Source: NFL clear bag policy.
What each venue allows
| Venue | Outside food | Sealed drinks | Empty refillable bottle | Published exception |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MetLife Stadium | Food in a clear plastic bag. Not in suites. | One factory-sealed can or plastic bottle of water or soft drink, 20 oz or less. | Yes. Plastic or aluminum, 20 oz or less, empty at the gate. | Glass, coolers, thermoses and ice chests are banned. Fountains sit outside restrooms on each level. |
| EverBank Stadium | Allowed if it is unwrapped and inside a one-gallon clear plastic bag. | Two factory-sealed 16.9 oz water bottles. | Not described as allowed. | The Jaguars state this alongside the 2026 value menu. |
| Allegiant Stadium | Prohibited. | Prohibited, including hard-sided bottles and cans. | Empty soft-sided water bottles are permitted. | No re-entry, so a bottle left outside cannot be retrieved. |
| Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Prohibited, including food bought just outside the gates. | One factory-sealed, non-frozen 500 mL (16.9 oz) water. No soda, flavored water or sports drinks. | Not listed. Bottles, cans, cups and thermoses are prohibited. | Non-frozen formula or milk, and small snacks, for parents with small children, in a clear bag. Medical food after inspection. |
| Arrowhead Stadium | Prohibited. | One factory-sealed water, 20 oz or less. | Not listed. Bottles and flasks are prohibited apart from that sealed water. | Medical diets: Fan Experience, 816-920-4237 or fanexperience@chiefs.com. The A–Z guide says fountains were winterized as of November 6; confirm before a cold-weather game. |
| SoFi Stadium | Prohibited, including food bought on the Hollywood Park campus outside the security line. | One factory-sealed water, 20 oz or less. Soft-sided single juice or milk containers are also named. | One empty, reusable, non-metal bottle, 20 oz or less, for hydration stations. | Medically required food or drink in a sealed container. |
| Bank of America Stadium | Prohibited. | Two sealed, plastic, non-flavored water bottles per person. | Not listed in the 2026 gameday guide. | The clear-bag check happens at an outer security line, before the ticket gates. |
Sources: MetLife A–Z, Jaguars Fan First announcement, Allegiant A–Z, Mercedes-Benz A–Z, Arrowhead prohibited items, SoFi stadium policies, Panthers 2026 gameday guide.
How to read the differences
“Water” is not one rule. MetLife allows a sealed soft drink as well as water. Mercedes-Benz, Arrowhead, SoFi and Bank of America Stadium specify water, and Mercedes-Benz explicitly rejects flavored water and sports drinks. EverBank allows two sealed waters and, separately, other food in the gallon bag.
Empty bottles are a second policy. MetLife allows an empty plastic or aluminum bottle. SoFi allows an empty non-metal bottle and points people to hydration stations. Allegiant allows an empty soft-sided bottle and bans hard-sided containers. Mercedes-Benz and Arrowhead do not publish an empty-bottle allowance; their lists ban bottles and then name one sealed water as the exception.
Food exceptions are narrow. The common ones are medical items after inspection, and infant formula or milk. Mercedes-Benz also allows small snacks for parents with small children, still in a clear bag. That is not a family picnic rule. MetLife’s broader “food in a clear bag” line is unusual in this set, and it excludes suites.
Bags and food interact. EverBank wants outside food unwrapped inside the gallon freezer bag. A soft-sided cooler is not a workaround at any of these venues. Allegiant charges $20, cashless, to check a non-compliant bag, and that window closes one hour after the event.
What this does not decide
Carrying food in is a budget tool only where the venue allows it and where the alternative inside is priced. What $20 buys covers the buildings with enough published prices. At Mercedes-Benz, a sealed water is the carry-in, and the inexpensive plate is the ATL Fan Fare menu. At Allegiant, House Deals are the inside option because outside food is banned.
Policies change by event, especially for concerts and international matches. Read the event guide even if this table matched the last NFL game.