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Arizona Cardinals to host Dallas Cowboys for preseason home opener Field Trip Friday is sponsored by Sanderson Ford PHOENIX (AZFamily) — For the first time in three years, the Arizona Cardinals will host the Dallas Cowboys on its home turf this weekend for an exciting preseason matchup. Cardinals new head coach Mike LaFleur said starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett will not play in Saturday’s game. Instead, backup Gardner Minshew will start against the Cowboys, while rookie Carson Beck is unlikely to play as he continues to treat a rib injury. In this edition of Field Trip Friday, Arizona’s Family is breaking down everything you need to know before you head to the stadium. From parking to food to merchandise, we’ve got you covered. I’m heading to the game, how should I prepare? Heading out to The Great Lawn to tailgate? The law opens at 3 p.m. Saturday and is available for pre-game tailgating only. Due to the extreme heat, fans are urged to prepare accordingly and drink plenty of water. Sportsman’s Park carparks and other game day parking lots will open at 3 p.m. Plan to leave early, as heavy traffic is expected along Valley roads. Staff recommend that fans should arrive during the first two hours the carparks are open (3:00-5:00 PM). Fans should note that all tickets and parking are digital only. For more information on parking, click or tap here. Skipping parking and opting for rideshare? The Rideshare Zone is located on the south side of State Farm Stadium in the Black Lot (Cardinals Way between 95th & 91st Avenues). When leaving the game, fans should exit BetMGM Gate 1 or Bud Light Gate 3 and walk south along the Black Lot pathway to meet their driver at the designated pick-up area. Don’t forget a clear bag! Fans can bring one of the following approved bags inside State Farm Stadium: - 12″ x 6″ x 12″ clear plastic bag - 1-Gallon Plastic Freezer Bag - Small clutch bag, including wallets, no larger than 4.5″ x 6.5″ in size - Clear backpacks, fanny packs and cinch bags that fit within permissible dimensions are also permitted If your bag is too big, you must leave it in your vehicle or put it in a mobile bag check location. Each bag will cost $20 to be stored for the game. Main entrance gates at State Farm Stadium open at 5:30 p.m. Club gates will open at 4:00 p.m. New year, new merch Need to refresh your Cardinals merch collection this season? Head on over to the team store to check out plenty of new styles! This year, the team is debuting brand-new kids and women’s collections and updated Rivalries gear. Then, don’t forget to grab special Larry Fitzgerald themed gear to celebrate the legend’s Pro Football Hall of Fame induction. The Cardinals Team Shop has several satellite locations throughout the stadium, including at sections 101, 104, 112, 115, 120, 123 (Flagship Store), 133, 137, 217, 232, 408, 428 and 439. Fans should note that all locations are cashless. New stadium eats One of the best parts of going to a football game is the concession stands! From tacos to street corn to cheesesteaks, State Farm Stadium is offering up plenty of delicious eats this season. Fans in attendance at the Cowboys game can get a specialty BBQ brisket burger, featuring a beef patty and smoked brisket, pickles, jalapeño cowboy candy and barbecue sauce on a brioche bun. It’s only available at Saturday’s game, so don’t miss out! Grab a Walkin’ Taco, with your choice of Doritos Nacho Cheese chips or Fritos — all topped with nacho cheese sauce, taco meat and elote street corn. Or, grab just the elote street corn, topped with cotija cheese, Tajin, cilantro and lime. Don’t miss out on the Copper State Cheesesteaks, featuring shaved ribeye with grilled onions, poblano chilies, roasted poblano queso, lettuce, tomato, shredded cheese and served on Indian frybread. Or, try the Indian Frybread Dog — a hot dog covered in chili, shredded cheese, lettuce, tomato, crema and roasted jalapeño sauce inside of an Indian frybread bun. In the mood for something lighter and healthier? Try the Big Red Turkey Wrap, filled with shaved smoked turkey breast, goat cheese spread, a superfood slaw, smashed cucumber salad and super food crunch (toasted hemp seeds, chia seed, pepita and nutritional yeast). Or, grab the Spicy Super Protein Salad, filled with chile Pequin grilled flank steak, a hard boiled egg, roasted veggies, ancho chimichurri dressing and superfood crunch. Need a snack or a sweet treat? Head to Wetzel’s Pretzels, Cold Stone Creamery and The Yard Ice Cream Bar. HS girls’ flag football returns for new season High school girls’ flag football has quickly become one of the fastest-growing sports in the state, and fans can catch all the action again this season! Cardinals Girls High School Flag Football Game of the Week is returning for its third consecutive season in 2026. Arizona’s Family will broadcast eight games from September through November, featuring schools from across the state. The season opens with a neighborhood rivalry between No. 4 Highland High School and No. 5 Campo Verde High School. Fans in attendance at Saturday’s Cardinals-Cowboys game will get to see the “Cardinals Girls High School Flag Football All-Star Experience” during halftime. The game will feature 33 of Arizona’s best high school flag football players go head-to-head. The full schedule is below: | Date | Away team | Home team | |---|---|---| | September 15 | Highland (Gilbert) HS | Campo Verde (Gilbert) HS | | September 23 | Casteel (Queen Creek) HS | Millennium (Goodyear) HS | | September 29 | Sandra Day O’Connor (Phoenix) HS | Xavier (Phoenix) HS | | October 7 | Chaparral (Scottsdale) HS | Arizona College Preparatory (Chandler) | | October 13 | Red Mountain (Mesa) HS | Salpointe (Tucson) HS | | October 20 | Marana (Marana) HS | Corona Del Sol (Tempe) HS | | October 26 | Chandler (Chandler) HS | Hamilton (Chandler) HS | | November 3 | Liberty (Peoria) HS | Mountain Ridge (Glendale) HS | Games will kick off at 6 p.m. on Arizona’s Family Sports and the AZFS app. Games will also re-air on Fridays and Saturdays throughout the season. Arizona’s Family Sports is available on Cox at Channel 13, DirectTV at Channel 32 and Dish Network at Channel 44. For a full listing of ways to watch Arizona’s Family Sports, go to azfamily.com/channels. Early challenges, but rebuild underway Coming off of a 3-14 record, the Red Birds focused on revamping the roster and coaching staff in the offseason. LaFleur, who is making his NFL head coach debut this season, says he is focused on building a strong team foundation and culture. LaFleur served as offensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Rams for three seasons before joining Arizona. He said the Cardinals offense will share foundational elements with the Rams, San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers. With the third pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cardinals selected star Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. However, the Cardinals have been dealing with preseason injuries, primarily amongst the rookie class. Love hurt his ankle during the team’s preseason 27-14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. The Cardinals do have considerable depth at running back with James Conner, Tyler Allgeier, Trey Benson and Bam Knight on the roster. Benson is dealing with a left knee injury while Conner is coming back from a foot injury that caused him to miss most of last season. The Cardinals put rookie guard Chase Bisontis on injured reserve, ending his season. The second-round pick out of Texas A&M tore the MCL in his left knee in the game against the Raiders and will require surgery. It’s been a tough run of injuries for the Cardinals’ rookie class. The team’s fourth-round pick, defensive lineman Kaleb Proctor, already is out for the season because of a knee injury that happened during offseason workouts. Despite challenges early on, the Red Birds are coming off of a preseason win against the Raiders and will look to defeat the Cowboys at home. Last season, the Cardinals defeated the Cowboys 27-17 in Dallas. Kick off is at 7 p.m. on Saturday. The Cardinals will finish preseason on Sept. 28 when they travel to Green Bay to face off against the Packers. See the team’s full schedule here. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Check out our previous Field Trip Friday segments here. See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it. Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here with a brief description. Copyright 2026 KTVK/KPHO. All rights reserved.