Vanderbilt Athletics announced many changes to FirstBank Stadium’s entry policies. These changes came following construction that spanned over the past two football seasons, leaving fans with limited access to concessions.
Although attendees must still pass standard screening and follow the SEC Clear Bag Policy — one clear bag up to 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or a small clutch that is 4.5 inches or less by 6.5 inches. Outside food and beverages are no longer allowed, including bottled water that was temporarily permitted during construction in 2023–24. Prohibited items are unchanged (e.g., non-compliant bags, umbrellas, framed seatbacks, noisemakers, weapons), and policies are consistent across all gates.
Vanderbilt Athletics said the change brings football in line with other Vanderbilt sports venues now that construction is complete and concessions are fully operational.
John O’Brien, senior media relations specialist at Vanderbilt University, said Vanderbilt Athletics communicated the new changes to fans through multiple channels, including “Know Before You Go” emails to ticket holders, a text message to students on Game Day, an app push that went out Saturday morning and social media posts.
Junior Amarin Sharma expressed concerns regarding efficiency when she attempted to enter the stadium for the football game.
“I got there around 30 to 45 minutes early, and there was a long line looping around the baseball field,” Sharma said. “It seemed like a smooth process until people started rushing towards the entrance, and we ended up in a clump, which was barely moving. Getting into the stadium in the seating area felt impossible. It was just a huge cluster of people, but eventually we made it through.”
Junior Yosenelys Fabian also described complications she faced while trying to enter the student section, noting that she and others ended up using one of the other entrances because staff directed them to walk a long distance to get inside the stadium.
O’Brien noted that Vanderbilt Athletics made changes following the season opener to improve entry at the student gate.
“Adjustments from Game 1 have been made, and we’ve doubled the number of entrance lanes at the student gate to help get students into the stadium faster on Saturday,” O’Brien said. “To make the most of this improvement, we encourage all students to arrive early to find their seats easily and avoid the lines that tend to form just before kickoff.”
The full, official entry rules including bag dimensions, prohibited items and other game day details are maintained on Vanderbilt’s Football Game Day Information page.
