(NewsNation) — The Michigan State University Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Wednesday to authorize a liquor license at four home football games this year.
It’s a move Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who supported legislation to lift bans on alcohol sales at college sporting events, says will bring in “a heck of a lot more revenue” and could reduce binge drinking at pre-games.
However, University of Massachusetts alum and New York Giants wide receiver Brandon London says he has concerns about the alcohol sales and even contacted MSU.
“When you throw alcohol in the mix, and especially when people get overly drunk or too drunk, then instead of it being a rowdy and raucous atmosphere, it becomes unpleasurable for everybody: Both player and fans,” London said.
At the University of Kentucky’s football games this season, fans at Kroger Field will for the first time have a chance to purchase beer and hard seltzer at the game.
The school experimented with alcohol sales at baseball and softball games. Now, the school is allowing drinks at all of the university’s athletic events.
Other schools like the University of Georgia are not hopping on the alcohol train, saying “no thanks” to additional revenue from selling adult beverages. Those schools announced they will once again not have public alcohol sales at football games during the 2023 season.
Texas Christian University journalism professor Chip Stewart’s students conducted research on just how profitable alcohol sales at college football games could be.
His students found the University of Tennessee sold the most at their games last year with more than 278,000 beers generating $3.3 million in profits.
“There’s going to be alcohol and beer around your game, and around your game day, around your stadium pretty much regardless,” Stewart said. “So it’s an opportunity to kind of get in on that, and maybe control it a little bit too, which may actually be safer.”
