Cheers! SEC football allows alcohol sales at every stadium

SEC football fans will finally be able to enjoy a game with a cold beer.

SEC football fans are about to be even livelier. The SEC has lifted their ban on alcohol sales at college football stadiums. The ban will be lifted on Aug. 1, 2019. Schools will decide whether they will sell alcohol at games on an individual basis.

This has been a move that’s gained steam in recent years with programs around college football implementing beer and wine sales at stadiums. The move generates a great deal of revenue for the schools, and no, the players won’t be receiving a portion of the proceeds before you ask. There are a few restrictions to the policy, including sales ending at the end of the third quarter of football games.

“We are proud of the great game-day atmospheres the SEC and our member schools have cultivated throughout our history, and no other conference rivals the SEC in terms of our ability to offer an intense yet family-friendly atmosphere for all of our fans,” said University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides, current chair of the SEC Presidents and Chancellors in a press release.

“This policy is intended to enhance the game-day experience at SEC athletics events by providing our schools the autonomy to make appropriate decisions for their respective campuses while also establishing expectations for responsible management of the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages.”

Expect some schools to jump on this like LSU, while others like Mississippi State and Ole Miss may not due to existing Mississippi laws. Alabama and Auburn have reportedly said they won’t sell alcohol in 2019. So just because schools can sell alcohol, that doesn’t mean they all will.

College football fans are already imbibing outside the stadium when they tailgate for hours on end before, during and after the games. Wise football fans have long been sneaking in flasks for decades to take a little nip here and there, and in colder cities, a little bit more to keep warm.

But now they won’t need to hide their flask and can pay the $9 for a Coors Light inside the stadium.

https://twitter.com/RossDellenger/status/1134513654504808448

Alcohol is sold at every single professional sporting event, concerts, and really, it’s hard not to find a place that won’t let you buy a tall boy. This move is really long overdue and I’m surprised it took until 2019 to make this happen in the SEC.

Sure, there are some concerns for the stadium security to make sure there aren’t some frat boys getting a little loud and obnoxious — even more than usual. There will likely be more security personnel at games to make sure any of that behavior is quickly stopped and people who couldn’t hold their alcohol will be sent to the drunk tank.

Will this lead to some fans not attending games because they don’t want to be near someone who had a few too many drinks? No way. But Dellenger does report the vote to lift the alcohol ban wasn’t unanimous, so there are some detractors to this decision.

But let’s not pretend like SEC football stadiums were full of sober fans before this ban was lifted.

This move is all about the money and an attempt to prevent attendance from dipping even further.