What To Pack When You Are Traveling For A College Football Game For Men & Women

By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Lifestyle Editor

Fresh off a visit to a campus at a major university, it’s time to provide key information on what to put in your suitcase when going to a game. It’s important to be prepared, to be properly attired and to fit into the scene like a cagy veteran.

So here’s what to pack when you are traveling for a college football game, 2025 edition for both men and women. This post is focused just not on game day but the day (or days) leading into the game as you are on campus, going to any functions such as a pep rally or alumni gathering, eating in restaurants and drinking in local bars.

 

Pro’s Tip: Watch a game of the school you are visiting the week before your trip. That will help you determine what to wear and give you an early warning about the weather. Some games on the East Coast and the Midwest are cold, rainy and chilly starting as early as October.

Essentials For Women Wear To A College Football Game

Women dress better than men for football games. That tradition goes back as far as the creation of the forward pass. Women also spend a lot more time planning their wardrobe than men, who often just toss whatever is handy into the suitcase.

Cowboy Boots. Still, the ladies do need to know a few things about packing for a college football game. If the game is in the South, for example, you’ll need cowboy boots. Girls wear them to the games as any semi-astute observer will notice the second you step into the tailgate party. This trend started with the sorority girls, who used them to sneak booze into the game. It took a while for money-hungry schools to catch onto this clever tactic but now security makes the girls remove their boots at the student gate. Still, I observed a few girls walking through unhindered while a guard was busy searching other girls. With or without a flask, the girls put their shakers in the boots.

A Dress Or Other Coordinated Outfit In School Colors. At some schools, the women dress up, almost as if going to a nightclub in Las Vegas, while others are more casual. Know this before you go so you can properly pack. Girls and women at the University of Alabama and Ole Miss dress up, for example. That is not the case as some schools; Florida State and Tennessee women, for example, generally wear the school colors with jeans, shorts or a jeans skirt. Other schools – USC is a prime example of this – generally have the alumni and older women dress up more than younger girls who are there primarily to take advantage of the fun atmosphere to party. And there is certainly nothing wrong with that at all!

Accessories In School Colors Or Mascots. Earrings with the school’s mascot, a scarf with the team’s logo or any other “cute” fashion accessory tied to the school makes for nice touch.

A Clear Plastic Purse. This is for “security” reasons at the stadium checkpoint. Yeah, to secure that officials can see you aren’t hiding any booze in your purse so you have to buy it inside.

Essentials For Men Wear To A College Football Game

Shirts In The Schools Colors. If the home team is red, then by golly, wear a red shirt. Don’t wear blue, yellow, green, etc. And by all means, under no circumstances, never ever wear the colors of the other team. If you don’t know the other team’s colors, then look it up in advance and don’t put that color of shirt anywhere near your suitcase.

Any Team Merchandise. If you have any clothing with the team’s name or logo on it, or a jersey, pack it. And it doesn’t even have to be a shirt. Bring a hat, jacket, any pants with a logo or even socks or shoes.

Slacks, Shorts and Jeans. It’s good to have both, although this depends on what school you are going to and the time of the year. If you are unsure, then jeans are always a safe option. As with any travel, check the weather ahead of time because with some teams starting in October, you’ll need to bundle up for games.

Kevin Wilkerson has attended hundreds of college football games as a sports writer covering games, a blogger writing about the atmosphere, as a member of the University of Alabama’s Million Dollar Band and as a fan. He wrote this story himself with no assistance from AI or Chat-GTP.