While the Indiana Hoosiers have been one of the more lackluster Big Ten teams of late, the sale of alcohol at Memorial Stadium could spike the quality of the atmosphere for fans of the program.
The Indiana Hoosiers, with their combined 10-14 record the past two years under head coach Tom Allen, haven’t been the most fun to watch in the NCAA, to say the least. However, the announcement of alcohol sales at games could lead to catching a game at Memorial Stadium being much more tolerable.
“Our main goals with this initiative are to enhance the gameday experience for our fans and reduce alcohol-related incidents in and around the stadium,” said IU Vice President and Director of Athletics Fred Glass. “While there will be some comparatively modest revenue generated by these sales, that is not the primary purpose of this program. Ten percent of our net beer and wine public sales revenues will be given to campus for alcohol safety programming.”
The Indiana Hoosiers have fallen just short of a bowl game for the second consecutive year and missed landing a spot in a bowl for the eighth time in the previous ten seasons. It hasn’t been pretty for fans of Hoosier football, who have two conference championships but have yet to ever record a 10-win season.
However, in a powerhouse Big Ten football conference, the Hoosiers now have a new opportunity for fans of the crimson and cream to enjoy their home football games—alcohol.
That’s right, as of the upcoming season the Indiana Hoosiers will begin selling alcoholic beverages to fans at their home games at Memorial Stadium. In 2019, fans of the team will be able to enjoy beverages such as beer and wine at their games, the school announced early Tuesday afternoon.
Indiana is the latest school to begin the sale of alcoholic beverages at football games, joining conference rival Illinois, who also jumped on the train earlier this month. The Hoosiers product may not have been the most fun to watch in recent years, but Allen’s crimson and cream dream-team will hope to boost attendance numbers right alongside their win percentage, beginning in 2019.
The Hoosiers finished sixth in the Big Ten East last season and found their only two conference wins against lowly Rutgers and Maryland sides.
While increasing attendance may be made easier at the result of the inclusion of the sale of alcoholic beverages (the students will absolutely love it), the win percentage is much harder. The climb begins for Indiana in the upcoming season
Even the most unbelieving Hoosier fan has to admit though, that recruits are much more willing to play in front of a raucous crowd than an empty Saturday afternoon stadium. Could it be that as the attendance goes up, Indiana can slowly start to reclaim football success similar to the famed 1968 Rose Bowl team?
Time will tell, and the alcohol will only make it go by faster for Hoosier fans.