Beer will be sold at Tulsa home games

[ADLER]

Beer fans score

By ERIC BAILEY

Tulsa World Sports Writer

8/26/2006

The brew will be sold again at Tulsa home games

Tulsa football fans will be able to toast touchdowns with beer during home games this season.

After a 10-year absence, beer will be sold inside Skelly Stadium in six contests, starting with Thursday night's opener against Stephen F. Austin.

"It was a cautious decision to do it," said Bubba Cunningham, TU's director of athletics.

Cunningham expects positive and negative feedback.

"We're trying to create an atmosphere that's good for our fans," said Cunningham, entering his 10th month as TU's AD. "Some people want to have options on drinks, and we'll have to provide areas for those that don't."

Alcohol-free zones aren't in place yet but will be studied as the season progresses.

Tulsa experimented with beer sales in the 1995 and 1996 seasons. After the two-year trial, sales were ceased by then-president Robert Lawless.

Stadium advertisements for beer were erased a few years later. Those also will return in 2006.

A 2005 USA Today survey of 119 Division I schools found that 54 allowed the sale of alcohol through public concessions, in private suites or both.

"We've had a lot of conversations (about beer sales) and the consensus was to move in this direction," Cunningham said. "We can control the consumption inside the gates and try to create a positive atmosphere for a lot of fans."

Cunningham said TU is contracted with Sodexho, a food management services company that will manage the beer sales. All vendors have gone through training, beer sales will end after the third quarter, and IDs for customers under 30 years old will be checked.

Initial reaction to TU's decision to sell beer was mixed.

Vicki Roberts was disappointed with the move. She is the executive director of the Green Country affiliate of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

"I'd always been so proud of (TU)," said Roberts, whose daughter was injured in separate drunken-driving accidents. "Now it's just another place to get drunk and go out, drive a car and hurt somebody.

"I don't know many people to take taxis to football games. I would safely assume that there will be drunk drivers."

Roberts said regulation will be the hardest part.

Nicole Veit, a TU senior and longtime football fan, said she's looking forward to buying her first 16-ounce, $4 cup of beer.

"I'm really excited and glad that they did that," Veit said, before adding that drinking happens "at tailgates outside the stadium before all of the football games."

Season-ticket holder Sandy Thompson also applauded TU's decision.

"It's a positive step on the University of Tulsa's behalf from the perspective that it'll bring more responsible drinking," said Thompson, who added that many fans used to leave at halftime to guzzle down beers quickly before the second-half kickoff.

When asked his opinion on beer sales, Tulsa football coach Steve Kragthorpe declined comment. School President Steadman Upham declined interview requests, deferring questions to Cunningham.

TU is a "wet campus" and allows alcohol. Last season, beer was sold in plaza areas just steps from the stadium gates.

Cunningham said added revenue was a key, but wasn't the driving force behind the decision.

"It was a factor, but it was one of many in making an appropriate decision," he said.

The athletic director didn't disclose financial terms but said beer sales would be a part of the regular concession agreement with Sodexho.

While no Big 12 Conference schools sell beer inside stadiums, TU will become the fourth Conference USA school to do so, joining Houston, Tulane and Central Florida. Among those, Tulsa and Houston have on-campus stadiums. Tulane and Central Florida play at off-campus sites.

One school that has said no to beer is Memphis. The university and city are in ongoing negotiations for a new contract for games at the Liberty Bowl. The city wants to add beer sales. The school doesn't.

Memphis receives a percentage of concession revenue but wouldn't accept money generated by beer sales, said Bob Winn, the school's associate athletic director for external affairs.

"We're in a stance that we're very adamant against the sales of beer . . . ," Winn said.

Beer is sold at Tiger basketball games at the FedEx Forum, an arena owned by the city.

Do beer sales at TU football games pave the way for beer to be sold inside the Reynolds Center?

"At this point, we're just trying to enhance the atmosphere of football," Cunningham said. "At this point, we don't anticipate selling beer at basketball games."

Cunningham said Tulsa police have been informed about the policy.

There are no immediate plans to increase security at TU games as a result of beer sales, said Tulsa Police Capt. Richard Lawson, who coordinates off-duty police officers who work security.

Police aren't anticipating a rise in criminal complaints because of beer sales during and after TU games, said Officer Jason Willingham, and he referred to past experience.

"It wasn't a problem then and we don't look for it to be a problem now," Willingham said. "There's always been beer and TU football. It's not going to be really different."

At the conclusion of TU's six home dates, the administration will evaluate whether to continue beer sales.

"Every time we host an event, we assess how we did and see if it was successful," Cunningham said. "We'll see how we do with (beer sales)."

Roberts has seen many families devastated by drunken driving and hopes, at the very least, TU stresses responsibility.

"We'll have signage and encourage that," Cunningham said. "We're also encouraging campus-wide positive life choices.

"Beer will be available, but we want people to make good decisions seven days a week and not just on game day."

[ADLER]

Would beer sales generate significant revenue for the Athletic Department?

Would the rewards be worth the liability?

Would overzealous fans or overzealous campus police be able to act in a reasonable manner?

Would it help help in getting thousands of tailgaters out of the lots and into the stadium for activities?

[KingDL1]

I though they sold beer on the deck already.

[Guest JohnDenver]

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

People would drink less in the parking lot if they knew they could buy it in the stands.

Beer is one of the reasons we even had the attendance to get to Div1A again.

[KingDL1]

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

People would drink less in the parking lot if they knew they could buy it in the stands. 

Beer is one of the reasons we even had the attendance to get to Div1A again.

←

Cold beer can do so much, thank god for beer!!!!

[RETSO]

hell yes!!!!!!!

[ADLER]

[Green Crazy]

"Beer is proof that there is a God and he wants us to be happy."

Ben Franklin

Benjamin new what he was talking about. If you sell beer, they will come.

[Bryan316]

I question how Bud, Miller, and Coors sponsor so much yet don't insist on having their product available at most concession stands.

Edited August 27, 2006 by Bryan316

[UNT_playmaker]

They need to sell beer at UNT football games

Beer Revenue= New Stadium

[res1dg16]

Beer + Students = Trouble

Beer + Some Alumni (who you think would be responsible & mature by now) = Trouble

[gangrene]

I would love for this to happen but here's why it won't (straight from the NCAA http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/governance...ohol-policy.htm ):

III. Recommendations

The NCAA Executive Committee recommends that all member institutions and conferences be encouraged to:

· Prohibit the sale of alcoholic beverages during all preseason, regular season, conference and postseason intercollegiate athletic events. Alcoholic beverages should not be sold or otherwise made available for public consumption in the athletics facility during intercollegiate athletics events.

· Promote legal and responsible use of alcohol by fans outside the stadium or arena (e.g., tailgating). To the extent that an institution can preclude the sale of alcohol outside the stadium or arena, those efforts should be made. When such restrictions are not feasible, an institution should visibly promote the legal and responsible use of alcohol for all fans associated with the event.

· Prohibit on-site alcohol advertising during all preseason, regular season, conference and postseason intercollegiate events. Except when expressly prohibited by prior contract, institutions should preclude advertising, banners and signs of displays for liquor, beer (including nonalcoholic beer) or wine products. Any permanently affixed or leased advertising, including banners, signs or displays in the facility, should be covered during the event.

· Prohibit media advertising of alcoholic beverages that exceed six percent alcohol by volume. Immediately prior to, during and subsequent to televised competition, institutions should preclude media advertising of alcoholic beverages that exceed six percent alcohol by volume.

· Limit advertising of malt beverages, beer and wine products that do not exceed six percent alcohol by volume and include content that emphasizes legal use of alcohol. These advertisements could include tag lines such as “Drink Responsibly and “Be Legal.” Such advertisements should not compose more than 14 percent of the space in any game publications; not more than 60 seconds per hour of any telecast or broadcast or not more than one hundred twenty (120) seconds total in any telecast or broadcast. Any such content should include an appropriate focus on legal and responsible use of alcohol.

· Provide programs and resources for education, prevention and treatment of alcohol abuse

[KingDL1]

Just recommendations;

if beer sales can help attendance and help revenues more power to it.

People would not sneak as many flasks in and those that run to the parking lot at halftime for a cold one could actually see the band.

[JayDub]

Beer + (Students + Alumni) / Trouble x Attendance = Money = New stadium = Better Recruiting = Championships = Beer

[emmitt01]

Help me understand the logic. The only reason I can come up with for why you shouldn't sell beer in the stadium is that someone might get drunk and be unruly. Instead, you allow people to drink all day long so they can enter the stadium already drunk?

And heaven forbid we sell beer inside so that someone who is able to actually check ID's can distribute it.

And as to beer bringing the people outside into the stadium...how many of the people who are out in the parking lot are still out there because they are minors and can continue to drink?

[gangrene]

Help me understand the logic.  The only reason I can come up with for why you shouldn't sell beer in the stadium is that someone might get drunk and be unruly.  Instead, you allow people to drink all day long so they can enter the stadium already drunk? 

And heaven forbid we sell beer inside so that someone who is able to actually check ID's can distribute it.

And as to beer bringing the people outside into the stadium...how many of the people who are out in the parking lot are still out there because they are minors and can continue to drink?

←

It doesn't make a whole of sense to me either, but this is the NCAA's way to let MADD and the general public know that they do not condone the use of alcohol, and certainly not at NCAA sanctioned events.

While my previous post relating to the NCAA recommendations are just that, recommendations you won't find many universities willing to rock that boat. I'm very surprised that Tulsa, of all universities, is one of those few. I searched (but couldn't find anything) for a list of universities currently allowing beer sales at football games. I would be curious to see just how many of the 119 D-IA schools still allow beer to be sold at sporting events. USC was the last of the PAC-10 and they banned beer sales in 2005.

[jgb0607]

Amen to flasks! We should sell beer as it would help prevent the usual shortage of water at NT games!

[GreenBat]

Help me understand the logic.  The only reason I can come up with for why you shouldn't sell beer in the stadium is that someone might get drunk and be unruly.  Instead, you allow people to drink all day long so they can enter the stadium already drunk? 

And heaven forbid we sell beer inside so that someone who is able to actually check ID's can distribute it.

And as to beer bringing the people outside into the stadium...how many of the people who are out in the parking lot are still out there because they are minors and can continue to drink?

←

Emmitt, I'm not sure how long it takes for the body to process beer, but I think four or five beers before the game and one in the parking lot at half time would be mostly out of the system after four hours of watching football. Less people drunk=Less DWI arrests and Less DWI fatalities=A better time the next day not having to explain to your boss the DWI or mourning over a friends death because of some Drunk A-Hole at the NT football game.

[emmitt01]

Emmitt, I'm not sure how long it takes for the body to process beer, but I think four or five beers before the game and one in the parking lot at half time would be mostly out of the system after four hours of watching football. Less people drunk=Less DWI arrests and Less DWI fatalities=A better time the next day not having to explain to your boss the DWI or mourning over a friends death because of some Drunk A-Hole at the NT football game.

←

It takes one hour per beer to metabolize so four hours of watching football (four hours? long game) would still leave you with two beers in the system by your count.

And what happened to personal responsibility? Shouldn't we ask people to make decent decisions. And to add to this, it is heavily emphasized to those who serve alchol not to serve to an intoxicated individual.

[NM Green]

We need beer sales because we need experience. An enhanced gameday experience COULD increase attendance combined with a solid product.

If beer were sold inside the stadium and arena, people would look at UNT games as a night out on the town. My thoughts:

To Belong - People like to go to places they feel like they belong. Our society condones if not glorifies drinking, so people naturally feel like they belong at a place where they can decide to drink or not.

To Have Control - By allowing people to make the decision to drink you are handing them over control. People like control and like to have the choice to drink or not to drink. By not having alcohol sold at sporting events we are "protecting the underage" while depriving the thousands of adults who would like the option to grab a beer and watch a sporting event. The underaged kids are not being protected as much as they are not showing up anyway. We must try something FRESH!

We are not competing with local colleges for attendance, we are competing with the Capitalistic machine that is our society. One way for us to differentiate our experience from the pack would be to try to get the non-UNT grad to sample our product. I speak to this firsthand living in Hawaii and by attending UH games. I look at going to a UH basketball or volleyball game as a night out. I don't usually drink anything more than a coffee or coke, but having the option is great! I also notice that the Hawaii crowds are older. Some are alum while others just like to support the local university and to see some D1A action. This notion that all of a sudden 19 and 20 years old would be sucking down masses of alcohol in the stands does not give our future leaders much credit and in my humble opinion is drastically overblown.

Let us model Mark Cuban in that he has successfully muscled the Mavericks up to the sports fans table by being different, thinking different, acting different and building a BRAND almost cult like feel to his organization! North Texas can do it but it takes visionary thinking and risks. There will be potholes, but it can be done by taking the road less traveled.

GMG

[LongJim]

Beer is Food.

[shaft]

I thought I rembered something about RV being forced to make a choice between beer sales in the stadium and drinking in the parking lot for tailgating.

If there is such a forced choice, I'd say keep the tail gating; it does alot more to boost attendence and enhance the game day experience than in stadium drinking.

[ADLER]

I thought I rembered something about RV being forced to make a choice between beer sales in the stadium and drinking in the parking lot for tailgating.

If there is such a forced choice, I'd say keep the tail gating; it does alot more to boost attendence and enhance the game day experience than in stadium drinking.

←

If that is the case, then I choose keeping the tailgating. It is THE lure which has made North Texas football an event for so many.

[pollock]

I hope NT doesn't do this. I need a rev limiter.

[HawaiianGreen]

I'm from Tulsa and here is a little recent history.

First, since 911, many security measures have been implemented. You cannot even bring an umbrella into the stadium. All bags and purses are searched coming into the stadium. You are NOT allowed to leave the stadium and return (even at halftime). No one can enter the stadium after halftime, even if you have an unused ticket.

TU has not allowed sales in the stadium for many years, however, the stadium is surrounded by liquor stores, bars and restaurants that do sell beer and alcohol. The school, needing the revenue, decided to let beer sponsors set up their own beer concessions OUTSIDE the stadium and TU would get a percentage of those sales. Beer concessions were only open before games and after games.

After experimenting with those concessions, they found no change in the fans behavior / no more problems than before. Their attendance seemed to grow (maybe that had to do with winning games). This year they have changed vendors to handle their concessions inside the stadium. Those vendors handle the professional sporting events in town and those events do sell beer and alcohol. Beer will only be sold through the 3rd quarter and no beer will be sold outside the stadium before or after games.