More Colleges Considering Selling Alcohol at Stadiums

June 28, 2016 by CFP Staff

Selling Alcohol at college stadiums during sporting events has always been controversial because college students are known to take things too far, and it could lead to an increase in violence at stadiums or after games. With an increasing number of schools and sporting events selling alcohol, it seems more likely than not that more schools will follow the trend. Whatever the schools decide, selling alcohol at events won't affect next season's NCAA football lines.

Alcohol consumption and sale at college sporting events have become more acceptable now, which is why it was sold at the College World Series Championship Series on Monday, and the Women's College World Series earlier in the month.

According to reports, approximately 40 schools will be selling at least beer to the general public at football stadiums this fall. More schools are currently considering if they will also sell alcohol at their stadiums.

The problem with schools deciding to sell alcohol at sporting events is that it presents an ethical dilemma. The obvious reason the schools are selling alcohol is to increase the revenue they make during the games.

Since we live in a capitalist society, there is nothing wrong with trying to make more money when you can, the problem is the fact that a majority of the people that attend these games are underage.

Chuck Neinas, a former NCAA administrator who banned the sale of beer at the CWS in 1964, recently said it's legal to buy marijuana in Colorado now, so he doesn't see the big deal is selling alcohol during sporting events.

The NCAA's Ron Prettyman said the organization wasn't really considering selling alcohol at events like the CWS, but their fans in Omaha made the suggestion, and the NCAA decided to give it a try this year.

While the NCAA decided to listen to feedback from their consumers, they neglected to get feedback from Mothers Against Drunk Driving, according to Colleen Sheehey-Church, MADD's president.

Sheehey-Church, whose organization tries to prevent underage drinking, told CBS Sports that her organization has a reaction.

MADD discourages the sale of alcohol at college events because the organization knows that while the drinking age is 21, most of the people at the events will be under 21.

An NCAA official agreed with MADD's stance, and said underage drinking is a legitimate concern.

West Virginia's athletic director Shane Lyons, feels the tide has turned philosophically when it comes to beer consumption. WVU decided to start selling beer at their home games in 2011, but the school insisted it wasn't to increase revenue, but to reduce the binge drinking that goes on outside the stadium.

Lyons pointed out that professional sports leagues serve alcohol in their stadiums and are able to control it. Lyon also said that instead of watching the game at home while drinking a beer, fans have embraced coming to watch the game live and drinking a beer.

While WVU officials claim the decision to sell alcohol at their stadium was to reduce binge drinking, the school made about $600,000 from beer sales last year. The University of Texas made $1.8 million, but the University of Minnesota reportedly lost money in 2012, the first year it started selling alcohol.

MADD hopes the NCAA will reconsider its decision to start selling alcohol at events because it will prevent people from getting killed in drunk driving accidents.