{"id":2151,"date":"2015-04-21T02:54:12","date_gmt":"2015-04-21T08:54:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/brutalhammer.com\/?p=2151"},"modified":"2015-04-21T02:54:12","modified_gmt":"2015-04-21T08:54:12","slug":"time-running-out-on-booze-bans-at-college-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brutalhammer.com\/time-running-out-on-booze-bans-at-college-games\/","title":{"rendered":"Time Running out on Booze Bans at College Games"},"content":{"rendered":"
I bring shocking news: College students like to drink. They especially like to drink while rooting on their teams at sporting events. Thankfully, more and more schools are permitting their students and fans to drink openly at games — and reaping the financial windfall that booze sales always bring to any event.<\/p>\n
The University of Maryland is just the latest school<\/a> to consider to consider going wet at Terps football games. Arkansas State took up the issue<\/a> a few weeks ago. Right now about 20% of schools sell beer and wine to fans in the stands, and the percentage is growing.<\/p>\n The NCAA, that living monument to dishonesty and hypocrisy, bars booze sales at “championship events” that it oversees — no drinking at the Final Four — but at lesser events leaves the decision to the conference, school and venue. Most colleges limit sales to the luxury boxes where the big-money boosters sit. Some, like the California State University system and the Southeastern Conference, remain adamantly dry. Traditionally schools situated on big urban campuses or that share a venue with a pro team have been among the minority that allowed alcohol. But last year 20 college football stadiums <\/a>went wet, among them the rural University of West Virginia. Now perhaps ASU and Maryland will follow suit.<\/p>\n The obvious reason is money. When Southern Methodist (!) University went wet last year<\/a>, the school realized a “six-figure windfall over the course of just 12 games” during basketball season. It’s no secret that basketball and football carry the freight for the swimmers, wrestlers, lacrosse players, and all the rest. That money has to come from somewhere.<\/p>\n