Nick Saban recently made the snide comment that when he was at LSU he could smell Bourbon down on the sidelines. Guess what coach, football fans drink at football games. College or Pro, it makes no difference. It’s part of the game.
If the Universities could just tax the booze that is smuggled into their stadiums each week, that would most likely be the end of their financial woes. Every week, hot or cold, there will be fans in the parking lot tanking up for the big game, and there will be fans tucking that flask with the Bourbon in their back pockets to get it past the ticket gate undetected.
So why not sell booze at the stadium and get in on some of the profits that would come from the sales? It’s being done elsewhere with no obvious ill effects. The SEC even has a rule that only allows the sale of alcoholic beverages to rich people, isn’t that nice?
If you are sitting in the expensive ‘club seating’ section of the stadium you apparently can buy most anything you would like, including booze, according to the current SEC rule book. Poor folks? Well, they can just bring their own, and they do by the gallon!
But at least Mike Slive and the SEC Commissioner’s office recognize that there is a gross inequity here and have set up a review to consider changing the policy. SEC associate commissioner Herb Vincent told reporters that the alcohol policy at off-campus home games and neutral site games is on the agenda for consideration this spring. Note that he did not include selling alcohol at home games.
LSU athletic director Joe Alleva says that selling beer at home football games would enhance the fan experience. Slive says that he likes things the way that they are but is willing to hear alternate ideas.
“Up to now, we like our rule. I haven’t heard any concerted interest in changing our rule, but our people would like to talk about it. We’re institutions of higher education and alcohol on campuses has been an issue for a long time. I think this is an area where we want to walk slowly and carefully,” Mike Slive said in a recent interview.
Joe Alleva thinks that selling beer inside the stadium might even help to curtail drunkenness at the games. “Right now, they drink excessively in the parking lot before they come in because they can’t get alcohol inside.” Cheers!
