Colleges may have a reputation for being awash in alcohol, but traditionally college football stadiums have been a dry island on campus. Until now.
While beer is often a part of tailgating, most schools—and the conferences they play in—ban alcohol sales within the stadium itself. But according to a recent Associated Press article, as of this fall 21 colleges and universities across the nation now allow alcohol sales at their football games. In some cases the sales are limited to premium-seat ticketholders, while other stadiums will sell to all attendees who are of legal age.
Schools that are bringing alcohol into the stadium say they are doing so in a bid to boost both attendance and revenue. They argue that the dry environment drives fans away from the stadium to bars where they can get a cold one during the game. And in addition to ticket sales, alcohol sales can be an easy way to rake in needed cash. Over the course of a season, those $5 cups of beer can generate hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue—an attractive prospect for schools still feeling the impact of the recession.
Some are concerned that allowing alcohol sales during games will lead to more alcohol-related issues, though that doesn’t necessarily seem to be the case. According to the AP piece, schools that have been selling alcohol in their stadiums have not reported an increase in alcohol-related behavior issues during games. This may be because patrons know they can get a beer inside and are therefore less likely to binge during their pre-game tailgating or sneak alcohol into the stadium. And like their NFL counterparts, college stadiums cut off alcohol sales during half-time or during the third quarter. Also, post-game problems are less easily tracked than incidents that happen in the stadium. It remains to be seen if areas near these stadiums will experience an increase in issues like drunk driving.
In the US, football and alcohol—especially beer—are as all-American as apple pie, and one college athletic director noted selling alcohol provides schools a way to “enhance the fan experience.” However, there are also some troubling ties between alcohol and football. Super Bowl weekend is one of the most dangerous for drunk driving each year, and NFL fans have long had a reputation for being a bit rowdier and drunker than fans of other sports.
By introducing alcohol into their stadiums, are colleges setting themselves up for more booze-related problems? What are they doing to ensure that legal-age students aren’t purchasing drinks for their younger peers during games? And in their quest to boost attendance and revenue, are schools sending conflicting messages to their students about alcohol and drinking?
I support the ability to sell alcohol in school stadiums, each school should reserve the right to that decision. If they do serve it in the stadium then rules should be put in effect to prevent more dwi’s from occuring.