Nebraska gets big alcohol sales update for sporting events

09/27/2024 11:13 AM

Nebraska athletics is going to allow alcohol sales at all its sporting events, per On3. The school’s Board of Regents is meeting in October to discuss alcohol sales at its games. The school is the only institution in the Big Ten Conference that doesn’t allow alcohol sales at its football stadium.

The move is expected to help the school increase revenue for its athletics department. College athletics is changing constantly due to name, image and likeness, as well as conference realignment and transfer portal rules. Schools are also likely to soon be doling out a lot of money to former athletes who couldn’t benefit from NIL, according to a court case settlement with the NCAA.

"There will be a point in time in which I'm sure that we will go to the board and ask for that consideration," Nebraska athletic director Troy Dannen said in May, per On3. "Certainly not this year. When I was at the meeting where the board approved it for baseball, there was talk about a more comprehensive look at alcohol. We sell alcohol at all of the facilities that we do not own, in which Nebraska plays athletics. Not at the ones that we do own.”

Nebraska is behind the country when it comes to alcohol sales

There are several schools across the country who have allowed alcohol sales at games for several years. Schools first started by  selling beer at games, but that business is now expanding at many institutions to include hard alcohol.

Schools are now also using alcoholic beverages as a means to help increase revenue and offer exclusive experiences for fans. For instance, Michigan is now using a bourbon manufactured by alum Charles Woodson as an official sponsor at its games. The bourbon is used to sell specialty cocktails at the stadium.

Nebraska’s plan would allow sales at all sporting events in buildings owned by the university. This would include football, but also other sports like volleyball.

"The University of Nebraska has put a great deal of thought and care into how we approach alcohol at our athletic events. I'm very pleased that we have shown we can do this safely, responsibly and in a way that makes sense for our fans, our student-athletes and the institution as a whole," Nebraska President Dr. Jeffrey Gold said, per KOLN. "This is the next step as we consider how best to meet our fans' expectations, carefully monitor safety and at the same time bring Nebraska in line with our peers in today's changing college athletics landscape."

The Board of Regents meeting to discuss alcohol sales is scheduled for October 4.

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