MU football alcohol sales could fund security improvements
MU athletics announced it will sell beer and wine during games at Faurot Field starting with the 2019 Mizzou football season.
MU deputy athletic director Nick Joos said Mizzou only has decided it will sell alcohol at football games. There is no determination whether Mizzou will sell alcohol at other sporting events. MU will monitor alcoholic beverage sales at Memorial Stadium this fall and will announce plans for sales in other venues after analyzing feedback received from its stakeholders.
Joos said MU has until Nov. 1 to decide whether or not to sell alcohol at basketball games and Feb. 1 for softball and baseball games.
Fans will be able to purchase alcohol at concession stands on the concourse area, but employees walking up and down rows selling food and drinks will not sell alcohol.
The sale of alcoholic beverages at football games will end at the end of the third quarter, and fans with a valid ID will only be able to purchase two drinks per transaction at select concession stands.
Fans will not be able to bring any outside alcohol into the stadium.
In a statement, MU Athletic Director Jim Sterk said, “Since the SEC staff established its working group to study this issue in 2018, our staff has been working with campus leadership, including MU Chief of Police Doug Schwandt, and our Wellness Center team, to develop a detailed and thoughtful alcoholic beverage sales plan for Mizzou in the event that the SEC position on this issue were to change. Based on the experiences of other institutions, we expect Mizzou football fans will appreciate this new option. We also expect alcoholic beverage sales at Memorial Stadium will help reduce the incidents associated with binge drinking that can occur on game day. We consider that a win-win for our fans.”
Texas A&M and LSU are the other two SEC schools that have confirmed they will sell alcohol during athletic events.
Joos added that a large portion of the money generated will go toward metal detectors that will be required by the SEC in 2020 and improved cellular communications within the stadium.
“The University of Missouri’s Police Department has worked closely with Mizzou Athletics on this issue,” said MUPD Chief Doug Schwandt. “We share a mutual commitment to maintaining a safe environment for fans, student-athletes and staff. Mizzou has a positive game-day atmosphere that we believe will continue under the new policy.”
According to MU, stadium personnel and law enforcement are allowed to remove fans from the game for giving alcohol to minors, unruly behavior, abusive language or any form of obvious public intoxication.
Fans also will have the option to purchase a ticket in an alcohol-free section at Faurot Field. Joos said in an interview with ABC 17 News that the ticket office was still working out details of the alcohol-free section. He said fans that request to sit in such an area will have their tickets specifically marked as such.
“We want them to come to the game and cheer for the Tigers at the end of the day in a safe environment, and that’s what we’re trying to provide,” Joos said.
Mizzou Athletics will have a sober driving program in place for guests to check in at guest services stands located throughout the stadium. A free fountain drink and other giveaways will be available for guests who sign in and register to serve as a sober driver for the day.
