Schools Starting To Tap Into Beer To Increase Revenues
By Ben Nielsen
More and more colleges are starting to sell beer at their college football games, the Associated Press finds. North Texas, SMU, and Troy will begin selling beer to the general public in the stadium this season. This makes 21 on-campus football stadiums that will sell beer at games, more than twice what it was in 2009.
"‘‘That’s more impactful to a bottom line for a Troy than it is for a Texas or West Virginia or institutions similar to that,’’ said Hartwell, whose program runs on a $20 million budget. Alcohol proceeds will be used to pay debt on a $25 million expansion of Troy’s football facilities.The Big 12’s West Virginia, with a budget of more than $80 million, began beer sales in 2011 in part to counter a problem with drunken fans coming and going from tailgate parties during games. Fans no longer are allowed to re-enter the stadium once they leave.Beer sales have produced no less than $516,000 each of the last three years for West Virginia, and campus police report alcohol-related incidents at Mountaineer Field have declined sharply."
Don’t be surprised if a beer comes to a college football stadium near you soon.