College football and booze have been a staple of college campuses since college football and booze co-existed. Up until a few years ago, though, they always diverged when the actual ball was kicked off.
Now, over 40 college football stadiums will at least sell beer going into the 2016 season, and the marriage is a fruitful one for many reasons.
The first is financially. While selling alcohol is less of a wind fall than you’d imagine when legally allowing people who are getting ripped anyway to do it legally (such that they can) inside the stadium. Minnesota reportedly lost money in their first foray into stadium alcohol sales.
On the other end of the spectrum, Texas raked in a cool $1.8 million. Alcohol was sold at the College World Series for the first time, and this is a trend that won’t stop until it’s taken over every stadium or close to it, likely. West Virginia made over $600,000 in beer and wine sales last season, and has been over $500,000 every year since they started.
The reasons go beyond pure finances into a more benevolent place, though finances are still probably the main grease in the wheel as attendance continues to not rise, mostly as the game is almost too-viewer-friendly anymore for the sit-at-home television watcher who doesn’t want to fight a crowd.
But some schools feel as though this could cut down on binge drinking outside the stadium, as well as those willing to take the risk to sneak booze in.
While it seems like backwards logic to legally offer alcohol and think it’ll cut down on binge drinking, the thought isn’t without merit. This isn’t an apples to apples comparison, but across the world (with the idea sneaking into proposed legislation in New York and California), Supervised Drug Consumption facilities have shown to have a positive impact on addicts in a variety of ways.
In those cases, though, you’re talking about banned illegal substances being done under supervision and at a low dosage with the opportunity to get help. Still, the idea stands the test of time: if you offer something legally, often times, it leads to less atrocities with it.
In short, offering people the chance to do something they otherwise couldn’t do legally would possibly have the benefit of cutting down on binge drinking, and there’s at least a fruit to vegetables comparison to go on with that logic.
More important to the schools, though, is the money. The idea that there’s just a cadre of stacked cash sitting around every program in college football is fantasy. Sports, particularly football, can be financial drains on schools. The money from ticket sales really isn’t the driving force behind profits, but if you can get a little extra loot inside the gates, why not give it a shot?
As of 2014, there were 21 schools that had alcohol sales, and over half of the concession revenue was from booze purchasing. That doesn’t include those who drink and get a little hungry and purchase food just because of that reaction.
Schools are making their fair share on it, too. Troy, for instance, makes over 40 percent of every beer sold. Since selling alcohol at games, SMU has reported attendance hikes. Whether you like it or not, the arrow is pointing towards this being the new, fool-proof money grab.
At any rate, people want alcohol at college football games and other college sporting events. It’s proven to be a money maker. And the ancillary benefits might stretch into the state of affairs of those attending games.
It makes too much sense, so drink up, and cheers to change.
