Ohio State Announces Stadium-Wide Beer Sales for 2016 Football Season

Ohio State announced Wednesday that it’s going to implement stadium-wide beer sales during the 2016 season after allowing the sale of alcohol in select areas of Ohio Stadium last year.

A release posted on the Buckeyes’ official athletics site noted the additional revenue will be directly used to create two new full-time positions within the Ohio State Police Department. Police division Chief Craig Stone commented on the decision, which comes with a $300,000 price tag.

“The safety of our campus community, including fans and visitors, is our No. 1 priority,” Stone said. “Thanks to this partnership with the department of athletics, two new, full-time officers will bolster our security presence and enhance campus safety year-round.”

Additional revenue—$50,000 over the next two years—will be used to fund research in the school’s Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery. Any remaining money will go into the general athletics department budget, according to the announcement.

Selling beer during college football games has become a growing trend in recent years. Christian Malone of Saturday Down South cited VinePair statistics last fall that showed 34 stadiums across the country served beer during college games.

The biggest concern is the distribution of alcohol at a sporting event where a sizable portion of the crowd is underage. Although beer still can’t be sold to anyone under 21, West Virginia president E. Gordon Gee told…

Continue Reading: Ohio State Announces Stadium-Wide Beer Sales for 2016 Football Season