Mckale Center Clear Bag Policy

So, you’re heading to the McKale Center to cheer on the Wildcats. You’ve got your lucky socks, a voice primed for shouting, and a deep, primal hunger for a hot dog the size of your forearm. But hold up, partner—before you waltz through those doors, we need to talk about your bag.

The Great Purge of 2017

Back in the day, you could roll up to a basketball game with a backpack stuffed with snacks, a laptop, and maybe a small farm animal. Then McKale Center, in a fit of security-conscious brilliance, decided that freedom looks like a clear tote bag.

In 2017, the arena joined a nationwide trend after you-know-what made everyone paranoid about large purses. The result? A policy that makes you feel like you’re shopping at a dystopian grocery store where your bag must be see-through or else.

If you show up with an opaque bag bigger than a deck of cards, security will gaze upon you with pity. They will then ask you to return it to your car, which is parked on the other side of the solar system. Don’t be that person.

What Can You Actually Bring?

Let’s get down to brass tacks (which must be stored in a clear bag). The official rule: Any bag smaller than 4.5” x 6.5” can be opaque—so a clutch, a wallet, or a very small lunchbox for a single ant. For everything else, it’s got to be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC, and no bigger than 12” x 6” x 12”.

That’s roughly the size of a small cat, if that cat were flattened and made of translucent plastic. You can also bring a one-gallon Ziploc bag—yes, the kind you use to store leftover chili. Just don’t confuse it with the actual chili you smuggled in.

Surprising fact: Over 60% of fans who get turned away at the gate are carrying a diaper bag. Pro tip: If you’re toting a diaper bag, you now have to decant the baby into a clear carrier. The baby can be opaque. I checked.

Students/Parents | Students/Parents

The Prohibited List (AKA Don’t Try It)

Here’s where things get zesty. You cannot bring in: selfie sticks (the enemy of all tall people), laptop bags, backpacks, camera cases larger than your hand, or any bag with more than one pocket. Multitasking is not allowed in this universe.

Also banned: noisemakers, laser pointers, and “sticks or poles of any kind.” So if you were planning to bring that giant foam finger on a stick, think again. The only pole allowed is the one the cheerleader is climbing. Leave your broom at home.

But here’s the kicker: you can bring a seat cushion, binoculars, and a camera—as long as they are not in a bag. Security will look at you suspiciously if you try to wear binoculars on your head like a weird metal hat. Please don’t.

The Real Reason It Exists

Think this is just about stopping you from hiding a burrito? Ha. The clear bag policy exists to speed up entry and reduce the risk of someone slipping in something nefarious. It’s the same reason NFL stadiums and Disney World adopted it: so security can see your dirty laundry from ten feet away.

In fact, the University of Arizona says the policy reduced average entry time by 30%. That means you spend less time in line and more time high-fiving strangers dressed in red and blue. Unless you’re the person who forgot your bag—then you spend that time weeping in the parking lot.

McKale Center Bag Policy - 2023 Arizona Wildcats Bag Policy

Oh, and here’s a wild fact: the policy applies to all events at McKale Center, including concerts, graduations, and even that one time they hosted a lizard show. Lizards are totally fine as long as they are not in a bag. A lizard in a clear bag is just sad.

Survival Guide for the Forgetful

You’ve arrived. Your car is six miles away. Your bag is the size of a small house and made of leather. Do not panic. McKale Center offers a bag check service for five bucks, located near the main entrance. It’s a glorious tent of shame where your belongings wait in a clear plastic bin until you retrieve them.

Alternatively, you can buy a clear bag at the team store for about $10. It will be covered in Wildcat logos and will make you look like a loyal fan who also has a thing for see-through luggage. Embrace it.

If you refuse, you can always try the old “shove everything in your pockets” method. Pockets are not bags, and security will respect that—until your jeans bulge like a chipmunk storing acorns. Then they may pat you down with concern.

The Fine Print

The policy explicitly states that medical bags and diaper bags are allowed after inspection. But you better believe security will ask you to open that diaper bag with the same intensity as a bomb squad. Be prepared to explain why you have six granola bars, a tiny dinosaur, and a sock from 2019.

MCKALE CENTER/MEN'S BASKETBALL POLICIES & PROCEDURES - draft

Also, all clear bags must be made of clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC. A mesh bag is not clear—it’s a net of lies. A glass bag would be clear but also very dangerous, so don’t try it. Use your brain.

And remember: if you bring a clear bag that is too cool—like, bedazzled with rhinestones—security might think it’s a weapon of fashion. Keep it simple. It’s a bag, not a statement. Save your statements for the game.

Bottom Line

You have two options: buy a clear bag or bring nothing but your keys, wallet, and a winning attitude. Skip the backpack, skip the diaper bag drama, and definitely skip the attempt to bring a camelback filled with Mike’s Hard Lemonade.

Go to the McKale Center armed with clarity—literally and metaphorically. Your future self, standing in a fast-moving line, will thank you. And if you see someone crying over a sequined purse near the gate, just point toward the bag-check tent. We’ve all been there.

Now get in there and roar like a Wildcat. Just make sure your roar fits in a quart-sized Ziploc.