IU to sell beer and wine at home football games

BLOOMINGTON – Beginning this fall, IU will sell beer and wine at home football games, breaking down a wall that’s stood at the Bloomington school for years.

Indiana made the announcement via a news release Tuesday afternoon, ending months (if not years) of speculation on the topic. 

Alcohol has been available at men’s basketball games in select locations, accessible primarily to boosters and special guests. But this change — which the release described as a “pilot program” — will introduce alcohol sales to fans at large.

“Our main goals with this initiative are to enhance the gameday experience for our fans and reduce alcohol-related incidents in and around the stadium,” Athletics Director Fred Glass said in the release. “While there will be some comparatively modest revenue generated by these sales, that is not the primary purpose of this program. Ten percent of our net beer and wine public sales revenues will be given to campus for alcohol safety programming.”

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The release does not mention the possibility of expanding the program to home men’s basketball games or how much the school will charge for alcohol at football games.

Indiana commissioned a consulting firm, Wasserman, to “study the desirability of introducing beer and wine sales at its home football games."

“In examining the more than 50 other schools that sell alcohol to the general public at their stadiums,” the release read, “(Wasserman’s) study found that its introduction resulted in improved game-day experience and attendance (with overall attendance at sporting events on the decline nationally, the introduction of alcohol sales has reversed that trend at numerous schools); and a reduction in alcohol-related incidents and safety issues in the stadium.”

The release stated that Ohio State reported a 65 percent decline in alcohol-related incidents in the first year it offered in-stadium alcohol sales, while West Virginia reported a 35 percent drop in similar incidents.

The Hoosiers join Ohio State, Purdue, Illinois, Minnesota and Maryland among Big Ten schools offering alcohol to the public at sporting events.

According to the release, Indiana will “establish … a task force to oversee the service of beer and wine this fall at Memorial Stadium which will address outstanding issues” including selecting a vendor, determining whether to continue or adjust sales policies, where to direct funds for campus programs and whether sales could eventually be spread to other IU venues.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.