Beer /Booze Sales at this Fall Football and Basketball games?
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It's a trend, especially for those colleges with tight budgets (most of them). The Genie is not going back in the bottle. Just like Pot being decriminalized, beer sales at College football games will continue at a slow, but steady rate.
There are approximately 120 D1 CFB teams , 25 represents about 20 per cent , I'll bet in 3-5 years the number will be 40 percent.
I was looking around for sales figures and I found an article on ESPN regarding beer sales at college stadiums.
"Beer sales have produced no less than $516,000 each of the past three years for West Virginia, and campus police report that alcohol-related incidents at Mountaineer Field have declined sharply."
WVU brings in over $500k in beer revenue while lowering alcohol related incidents at the stadium. Sounds like a win-win.
http://espn.go.com/college-football...eer-sales-stadiums-alternative-revenue-stream
"Beer sales have produced no less than $516,000 each of the past three years for West Virginia, and campus police report that alcohol-related incidents at Mountaineer Field have declined sharply."
WVU brings in over $500k in beer revenue while lowering alcohol related incidents at the stadium. Sounds like a win-win.
http://espn.go.com/college-football...eer-sales-stadiums-alternative-revenue-stream
Let's see some of the logic here. The athletic program is seeking revenue to help subsidize the budget and it is suggested that beer be sold at games to provide a source of potential income. Yet it is advocated that this income be given to some other campus area. Do athletics assumes all of thr risk and other potential negatives snd gets nothing. What am I missing here. By the way, check UConn game day experience from msny who have attended away games there. Not too good in terms of fans getting drunk etc.
Just what do some folks and students this will add to the game day experience when one can tailgate both before and after the game and still have a great day. And let's not kid ourselves because they will also be underage consumption at the game itself as students hsve many creative ways to purchase gor others and circumvent the system. There sre enough drinking problems on campus with students the Rutgers hasn't been able to solve let alone pre-game snd even with adults etc. We do not need this in the stadium. At least the Audi Club is a very controlled situation.
Just what do some folks and students this will add to the game day experience when one can tailgate both before and after the game and still have a great day. And let's not kid ourselves because they will also be underage consumption at the game itself as students hsve many creative ways to purchase gor others and circumvent the system. There sre enough drinking problems on campus with students the Rutgers hasn't been able to solve let alone pre-game snd even with adults etc. We do not need this in the stadium. At least the Audi Club is a very controlled situation.
Beer sales is an obvious plus, but it seems attendances also increase with beer sales. SMU saw huge increases in attendance for football and basketball after offering beer. With every game on tv, students and fans can stay home or go to the bar. Beer sales at the stadium gives everyone another option and should help attendance.
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Currently we have fans and students that stay in the parking lot just to drink because they can't in the stadium. If those fans actually make it into the stadium there is not doubt that they would drink less. All the facts seem to support offering beer actually reduces alcohol related problem. I understand that it seems counterintuitive but this could be positive revenue source and help reduce problems.
It's not like anyone stops people from bringing their own alcohol in now in their pockets. I usually bring 3-4 beers and a fifth of fireball into the stadium in my pockets and as long as you are discreet about the drinking, no one bothers you. And if they do catch you, they just take it away. As long as you don't act like a complete asshat, i've never seen any of the numerous drinkers in my section get thrown out. Other places that have done it have definitely found that serving beer in the stadiums greatly cuts down on binge drinking during tailgates and other alcohol related problems. People always complain that they want more people in their seats at kickoff, well knowing you could still get a drink in the stadium would eliminate the need for people to stay at their tailgates til the last possible second downing shot after shot right before heading to the stadium. The real drunks who are going to cause problems are going to cause them whether alcohol is sold in the stadium or not.
Personally do not feel as though the decision to sell alcohol at the stadium will lead to increased violence or rowdiness (although sometimes at times I wish the stadium were more rowdy than it gets), I do not think this is a very profitable avenue even if the athletic department were to keep the revenue.
First off I do believe additional security would be added to ease the fears of some, and although not overly costly, still an expense. Secondly, if we think about it for a second, how much in revenue could this possibly bring during the football season (which is the main driver in all honesty). With a quick assumption of an avg. of 40k fans (yes some games will be higher but some will also be lower as the sept month is usually less packed) and with most likely 2- 2 1/2 qtrs. of opportunity to sell and say roughly 25% of those fans per game will be willing to drink, and say they consume 2 beers each @ $7.50 you are only looking at $150K per game and that is even being generous on the amount consumed. Then you have to consider the sodexo or whomever runs the concession stands will be taking their cut and that only leaves Rutgers with maybe $250k-$300K per season. Is it really worth the value at the end? I know personally I would rather put back 1 or 2 extra before going in than standing in line for god knows how long and missing the game.
First off I do believe additional security would be added to ease the fears of some, and although not overly costly, still an expense. Secondly, if we think about it for a second, how much in revenue could this possibly bring during the football season (which is the main driver in all honesty). With a quick assumption of an avg. of 40k fans (yes some games will be higher but some will also be lower as the sept month is usually less packed) and with most likely 2- 2 1/2 qtrs. of opportunity to sell and say roughly 25% of those fans per game will be willing to drink, and say they consume 2 beers each @ $7.50 you are only looking at $150K per game and that is even being generous on the amount consumed. Then you have to consider the sodexo or whomever runs the concession stands will be taking their cut and that only leaves Rutgers with maybe $250k-$300K per season. Is it really worth the value at the end? I know personally I would rather put back 1 or 2 extra before going in than standing in line for god knows how long and missing the game.
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it all depends on the people at the top....something tells me Barchi is a conservative guy and wont even entertain the idea.
anyway, I doubt he will feel pressured at any point in time....and it only takes a few higher ups to just decide to ignore it.
The experience at WVU is not directly relevant to Rutgers. WVU used to allow fans to leave the stadium and re-enter, and a lot of fans would do that to head back to their cars to drink, especially at halftime. When WVU started selling beer in the stadium, they also stopped allowing fans to leave and re-enter. The decline in alcohol-related incidents is probably more related to preventing fans from going back to their cars to drink.
At Rutgers, you aren't allowed to leave and re-enter. While there are probably a large number of fans who chug a few beers right before entering the stadium, and stadium beer sales may reduce that, I am not sure how much of a problem that has been at Rutgers. If there are not a lot of alcohol-related incidents caused by people chugging just prior to entering the stadium, then stadium sales isn't really going to be able to reduce that in a meaningful way.
I also don't find the revenue argument compelling. If WVU is bringing in $500K in revenue, their profit on those sales is much less. But even if Rutgers were to bring in $500K profit to the athletic department, that is not enough money to drive a change in policy. Pretty soon Rutgers will be bringing in $30MM+ just from the Big Ten. The extra $500K from beer sales is not a make or break number.
I also don't find the attendance argument compelling. Rutgers currently doesn't have a major problem selling tickets to football games. I don't see the addition of beer sales creating a major bump in attendance, or allowing Rutgers to increase ticket prices.
On the other hand, I also don't find the argument of unruly drunks compelling either. I go to enough professional sporting events where beer (and sometimes hard liquor) is sold to recognize that the unruly drunk is the exception, not the rule. Those unruly drunks also show up at Rutgers Stadium, either because they get drunk before entering, or because they sneak alcohol into the stands.
I think that if Rutgers wanted to sell beer, it could be managed properly. The biggest problem is preventing people from buying beer and giving it to underage people. This is more of an issue at a college game with 10,000 underage students, than at a professional game where most of the underage people are accompanied by a parent. It really comes down to whether Rutgers wants to deal alcohol sales or not.
Personally, I'd like to see beer sales at games, primarily because there are some games where I'd enjoy drinking a cold beer. Even if Rutgers were to create a beer garden, where you can buy and drink beer without taking it back to the stands, I would probably go there on occasion.
We'd likely have similar sales results to WVU & MD. I'm not persuaded that it's worth it to bring in an extra $300,000-$500,000/yr as our revenue share. WVU, who typically averages more fans & has a larger stadium capacity than us, averages about $500,000/yr as it's revenue share. After doing some research, the Sodexo rev share that WVU gets is 52% of gross sales, whereas Troy's is 43%. I'm not sure what MD's is but I'd guess it's the 52% or close to it so I'd also guess that's what ours would be. MD made less than the $500,000 rev share they were projecting from FB & BB beer sales & in Nov their president said sales were far below what they expected/projected. For FB, we already sell beer in the Audi Club, at the Block R party & I think on the party deck & at the visitor center tailgate, & for basketball, at the RAC hospitality area. How much $ do we bring in as our revenue share for those sales already, as that would likely reduce the amount of new revenue projected in the $300,000-$500,000/yr revenue share I mentioned?
All good points and you cover the topic well.
I'd probably come out on the other side, no real objection beyond the concerns you mention but that should be manageable but not worth it in the balance. Maybe just because the cold beer opportunity is less interesting to me.
If they did offer beer I certainly wouldn't spend any time worrying about it.
Got to keep the little people in line....can't trust adults with alcohol except in the rich people boxes....only THEY are responsible enough to handle their alcohol. The little people don't need no stinkin alcohol! [cheers]
I would think WVU would be on the high side for this. I assume you cannot get a beer even in the Audi Club or is that different. Not a fan of the concept but I have been known not to have a good pulse on what the majority wants.
The little people are the little people for a reason.
There are already spots in (Audi Club, Party Deck, suites soon) and around (Block R Party, Visitors Center, your own tailgate) the Stadium to get a beer.
While I am against it for the general population at the Stadium, I'd be willing to try it for our other Olympic sports, WBB and certain MBB games as a trial run.
At first glance that's a good idea.... but what about those of us who have had the same seats for a few decades? I wouldn't want to change my excellent seats to go and sit in a "family section."
"This past football season, Maryland ran a trial of selling alcohol at their football games and made just under half a million dollars in alcohol sales and increased their attendance by 14 percent."
An x-alcoholic view point. before games we tend to load up on drinking as we must wait till the game is over (3.5 hrs) so we go in late and leave early to put the buzz back on. As stated above WV rowdiness went down, a byproduct of having the beer/high available, you do not have to get hammered to carry your buzz thru the game. Or look above at the alcoholic's statement above he sneeks his buzz beers in to keep him going thru the game. many will not attend the game just because they can not go 3.5 hours without a top off to the high thus the 14% increase in attendance at Maryland in part is that crowd who "need a beer to keep the buzz"
Summery:
Sales =~$500K and does Sodexo get 48-50% of that
Fans= at Maryland 14% increase (modest 10% = ~+5000 fans) season tickets average~$300= $1.5 Million
This now starting look like a revenue stream that is of value.
Try it with a probation period 3-5 year cutoff, so it must be revisited to continue, and examine all its entanglements.
Like ped state did with insurance premiums increasing, (but our will be due to increased drunks not children molesters)[jumpingsmile]
An x-alcoholic view point. before games we tend to load up on drinking as we must wait till the game is over (3.5 hrs) so we go in late and leave early to put the buzz back on. As stated above WV rowdiness went down, a byproduct of having the beer/high available, you do not have to get hammered to carry your buzz thru the game. Or look above at the alcoholic's statement above he sneeks his buzz beers in to keep him going thru the game. many will not attend the game just because they can not go 3.5 hours without a top off to the high thus the 14% increase in attendance at Maryland in part is that crowd who "need a beer to keep the buzz"
Summery:
Sales =~$500K and does Sodexo get 48-50% of that
Fans= at Maryland 14% increase (modest 10% = ~+5000 fans) season tickets average~$300= $1.5 Million
This now starting look like a revenue stream that is of value.
Try it with a probation period 3-5 year cutoff, so it must be revisited to continue, and examine all its entanglements.
Like ped state did with insurance premiums increasing, (but our will be due to increased drunks not children molesters)[jumpingsmile]
I resent being called an alcoholic when really i'm just a binge drinker...the 7 rutgers games I attend each year plus the 8 giants home games and new years eve are the only 16 days all year I drink...i just like to get stinking drunk when I do...haven't had a drink in 5 months right now and likely won't until opening day in september...i should add that none of the fans who sit around me have ever had a problem with my behavior during games and many of them bring young kids
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-binge-drinkers-are-not-actually-alcoholics/
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-binge-drinkers-are-not-actually-alcoholics/
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That quote is factually inaccurate. Maryland's 2015 FB attendance actually declined 6% or 2,640 people per game from 46,981 in 2014 to 44,341 in 2015. Looks like someone used the wrong year attendance figures as MD's 14% increase was from 2013 to 2104, it's 1st yr in B1G when they didn't have beer sales. Sooooo, based on MD, selling beer decreased attendance 6% :grimace:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/09/s...ohol-college-football-west-virginia.html?_r=0
In an era of seven-figure coaching salaries and demands for more resources for athletes, universities are always looking for ways to increase revenue. But college football is also eager to keep up attendance, which averaged 44,190 last season, the lowest figure since at least 2003, according to the N.C.A.A. In the era of high-definition home televisions, fan experience is the focus of many athletic directors’ offices.
In that environment, alcohol sales are a moneymaker. West Virginia’s athletic director, Shane Lyons, said last month that “approximately $500,000 a year just in beer comes back to us.”
Now more colleges appear headed in West Virginia’s direction. Before this season, Texas and Maryland announced that they would join a roster of programs in the so-called Big 5 conferences that sell beer at games, a list that also includes Minnesota, Colorado, Wake Forest, Miami, Syracuse and Louisville. (The Southeastern Conference prohibits its members from selling alcohol to the general public.)
Maryland introduced a one-year trial period for football and basketball games, to be evaluated after the basketball season, after the university’s athletics council voted, 16 to 1, to recommend it.
In an era of seven-figure coaching salaries and demands for more resources for athletes, universities are always looking for ways to increase revenue. But college football is also eager to keep up attendance, which averaged 44,190 last season, the lowest figure since at least 2003, according to the N.C.A.A. In the era of high-definition home televisions, fan experience is the focus of many athletic directors’ offices.
In that environment, alcohol sales are a moneymaker. West Virginia’s athletic director, Shane Lyons, said last month that “approximately $500,000 a year just in beer comes back to us.”
Now more colleges appear headed in West Virginia’s direction. Before this season, Texas and Maryland announced that they would join a roster of programs in the so-called Big 5 conferences that sell beer at games, a list that also includes Minnesota, Colorado, Wake Forest, Miami, Syracuse and Louisville. (The Southeastern Conference prohibits its members from selling alcohol to the general public.)
Maryland introduced a one-year trial period for football and basketball games, to be evaluated after the basketball season, after the university’s athletics council voted, 16 to 1, to recommend it.
Good idea. Zero chance of a search.
Question for you, what is the origin of Plum St. ?
Winning and losing has a bigger impact on attendance. Rutgers total season attendance dropped about 6% from 2014 (when we went 8-5 and 4-2 at home) to 2015 (when we went 4-8 and 2-5 at home).
In a terrible year, with off-the-field turmoil and on-the-field losses, with the coach getting fired immediately at season's end, we were still at 91% stadium capacity. If we win as much as we did in 2014, we will be at 97% stadium capacity. We don't have enough empty seats to see a 14% attendance increase from selling beer.
That quote is factually inaccurate. Maryland's 2015 FB attendance actually declined 6% or 2,640 people per game from 46,981 in 2014 to 44,341 in 2015. Looks like someone used the wrong year attendance figures as MD's 14% increase was from 2013 to 2104, it's 1st yr in B1G when they didn't have beer sales. Sooooo, based on MD, selling beer decreased attendance 6% :grimace:
Exactly. Winning & losing are what matters. Plus that 14% increase cited was incorrect as they actually had the same 6% decline in attendance that we had.
But college football is also eager to keep up attendance, which averaged 44,190 last season, the lowest figure since at least 2003, according to the N.C.A.A. In the era of high-definition home televisions, fan experience is the focus of many athletic directors’ offices.
Another gigantic videoboard on the North side, WiFi, distributed sound system & better food will enhance the fan experience far greater than selling $8 Miller Lite's. But if we aren't winning, then attendance will be down so ultimately we need to win & play an exciting brand of FB.
But what if we are winning and those $8 Miller Lites help get those things sooner?
I'm with you on this issue btw, just playing devil's advocate.
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