Will Michigan Stadium ever sell alcoholic beverages?
Half the conference already does it to their entire stadium while others like Wisconsin and MSU sell it in suites.
Michigan does not sell any whatsoever. Having the largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere could net millions in annual alcohol sales.
I have no opinion on this. I just want to take the temperature of the board on this issue.
Here’s a list of every Power 5 teams alcohol policy.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.knoxnews.com/amp/1358400001
October 24th, 2019 at 11:03 AM ^
What's in this Kool Aid, anyway?
October 24th, 2019 at 1:02 PM ^
drugs. specifically shrooms
October 24th, 2019 at 11:11 AM ^
Tailgating to me is grilling up good food. Not getting drunk.
With the fortune it costs to go to Michigan Football games, I want to remember everything and not have to pee every half hour. I drink Coke Zero Sugar before the games but not very much. Nothing worse than having to get up in those narrow rows.
Once we sit in our seats we’re there until the end of the MMB playing the Yellow and Blue.
I don’t go too crazy after because I’m the driver. Couple beers after a win.
October 25th, 2019 at 12:09 PM ^
I hope you are having fun...
Remember it is supposed to be fun, the vibe I get from your post is that you take going to a game very "seriously".
October 24th, 2019 at 10:29 AM ^
Sucks to be you. :-)
October 24th, 2019 at 9:54 AM ^
My initial reaction to this was that we should definitely start selling it. However, given how much Michigan football causes me to drink, I think this would be an awful idea. We’d all sad drink to death before half time.
October 24th, 2019 at 9:55 AM ^
It would have made the Army game easier to watch, i think.
October 24th, 2019 at 9:55 AM ^
It’s an interesting discussion because it raises some questions:
- Would people drink less before games?
- Would it create more DUIs and/or traffic incidents on the way out of A2?
- Would you have enough time to get back and forth from your seat to even get drunk before they cut off sales?
My $0.02 is that I think it would cause more after game issues. I also think that in-game issues would spike sharply at first, then drop below the 5 year average as people adjusted. I’ve seen (and been) people a little too drunk for their own good at the start of the game, strictly because they drank hard ahead knowing that they wouldn’t be drinking for 3+ hours.
I assume that attendance will continue to drop everywhere enough that this will be even more commonplace than it is now.
October 24th, 2019 at 9:59 AM ^
My fondest memory of the '17 msu game was trying to stand wide enough in a stall to avoid being ankle deep in vomit while I peed. I was unsuccessful.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:02 AM ^
Yeah, I recall that tailgate in general becoming a total shitshow.
October 24th, 2019 at 11:38 AM ^
October 24th, 2019 at 9:57 AM ^
$7 a beer at Illinois a couple weeks ago. Not a bad price for stadium beer. Not sure what the problem with it is.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:28 AM ^
that's a pretty good price. I am sure Michigan would charge $12 then.
October 24th, 2019 at 9:57 AM ^
Selling alcohol inside the stadium may actually have the effect of fewer belligerent drunk people. Right now a lot of people binge drink right before going in simply because they know they're not getting any more once inside. If people knew they could get another beer once inside, they're less likely to slam some drinks right beforehand. And once inside how likely are people going to get super shitfaced off of $10 low ABV lagers? Not likely.
October 24th, 2019 at 11:02 AM ^
Agreed. I'm thinking having alcohol for sale inside the stadium would solve quite a few problems that currently exist.
If they did this and added good Wifi inside the stadium, I'm thinking they might actually fill up the student section for most games.
October 24th, 2019 at 9:59 AM ^
I sure hope they stay don't. Endless parade of drunks climbing around me is not appealing.
October 24th, 2019 at 12:08 PM ^
people that want to get drunk are doing it anyways. people that don't don't. lots of data showing selling it it actually decreases the issues since people don't have to binge before entering, or sneak in hard liquor
October 24th, 2019 at 9:59 AM ^
No to alcohol, yes to wifi hopefully
October 24th, 2019 at 10:00 AM ^
I’m no Puritan. Bring on the booze.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:02 AM ^
I couldn't care less. It sounds great in theory until you go to the beer stand and realize that a 16 oz cup of Bud Light costs the same as the six pack of craft beer you brought to your tailgate.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:06 AM ^
I completely agree with this, plus let's be honest it would just be a cash grab. It's not like the University is hurting for money. I have heard the argument that well if we sell it in the stadium then people won't get as drunk before going in. Yes. They. Will.
October 24th, 2019 at 1:08 PM ^
Yes, exactly like their bottled water cash-grab, only a lot more. I find it hard to believe that there won't be more staggering drunk people in the stadium if they allow alcohol sales, like some people on this blog seem to think. When it occasionally happens in our section, it really detracts from the game experience. If they're not throwing up or swearing every other word, they're climbing over you once or twice a quarter to go out and a) take a leak, and b) get more beer. Last year there was some guy who was totally bombed and all game he'd yell out random things like "Go Big Ten!" No thanks.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:04 AM ^
I don't care if they sell alcohol or not. I probably wouldn't drink during the game since I have to drive home. My only reservation is that we are packed in so tightly that it's already difficult to go in and out for food/water/bathrooms. Anything that increases the incentive to go in and out is not that enticing to me.
On the other hand, maybe people in my row will spend more time in line for beer/bathrooms and I'll have more seating space.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:13 AM ^
We should sell in massive quantities to inflame our docile crowd. We cannot compete with other stadiums that are full of drunks
October 24th, 2019 at 10:16 AM ^
I'm glad that they don't sell alcohol. The amount of dumb behavior is reduced by the lack of alcohol. I'm glad I can take my young kids to a game and not be overly concerned with the language that they will hear. They hear some, but not nearly what would happen if some "loyal fans" were able to drink their frustration away while they were still in the stadium.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^
The people that you are concerned about are already drunk as hell inside the stadium as it is. One or 2 more beers during the game isnt going to move the needle.
October 24th, 2019 at 12:41 PM ^
Yeah, because people are going to stop at 1 or 2 to keep that nice, polite buzz on.
October 24th, 2019 at 2:04 PM ^
After they have been tailgating all day, I bet that most drunk people wouldn't need more than 3 tall ones during the game to keep it going. Especially at 10.00 per beer.
October 24th, 2019 at 12:13 PM ^
if you're concerned about the language your kid is going to hear then I'd suggest not going to the game or any other place in public with a number of human beings. many people cuss as a part of their daily vernacular. expecting people to change their ways because you decided to bring a child is asinine
October 24th, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^
The temperature of the board is 72 degrees.
As for alcohol, imagine all the drunk guys trying to score chicks near the end of the fourth quarter.
Now THAT would almost be worth the thousands of dollars it costs to attend a game!
October 24th, 2019 at 11:16 AM ^
It doesn’t matter what temperature a room is. It’s always room temperature.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:25 AM ^
I think it's a great idea -- but I would also never in a million years actually drive somewhere after a football game until the next day.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:26 AM ^
They 100% are going to sell beer in the stadium. Likely ‘21 season. Same year as Norte Dame.
October 24th, 2019 at 1:25 PM ^
actually at Notre Dame they just turn the bottled water into wine
October 24th, 2019 at 5:02 PM ^
Nice one, I hadn’t considered that obvious angle
Notre Dame just signed a deal with Coors Light (for many millions) but still don’t sell in stadium outside of suites
i don’t think it’s announced yet but will be shortly
Notre Dame is saying privately they’ll start selling in the next two years
That’s when we’ll start too, 95% certainty
October 24th, 2019 at 10:26 AM ^
Hope not. I want a family atmosphere, which I think the noon games also help to encourage.
October 24th, 2019 at 5:38 PM ^
I promise it’s happening, I never post, but this is one where I have direct knowledge
“Drunken Disorderly” citations have gone down in every college stadium where beer sales have been introduced
the general belief is that there is less binge drinking pregame when you introduce beer sales in stadium
But you never know, you may be right
October 24th, 2019 at 10:26 AM ^
I think they should sell booze. Who cares anymore. The majority of people around me are 300lbs already, might as well spill their beer on me along with their flab.
Start the flashing Comcast and Nissan ads on big screen during the dozens of 3 minute time outs. Give me a seizure.
Nothing is sacred. Blast the AC/DC and mumble rap. Tune out the band.
Just be sure to keep jacking up the price for tickets while raking in all the extra revenue.
October 24th, 2019 at 12:28 PM ^
I mean this with all sincerity, but why do you still attend games (if you do)? It seems like a miserable experience for you...
October 24th, 2019 at 1:06 PM ^
2 or 3 games. I do enjoy it for the most part but the BPONE is too great to overcome that it has taken grasp of the stadium experience.
October 24th, 2019 at 1:42 PM ^
I'm with you on most of what you mentioned, thats why I asked. Glad I'm not the only one. We always go to at last one game a year and never feel like it was money wasted.
October 24th, 2019 at 5:06 PM ^
Mumble rap!!!
October 24th, 2019 at 10:27 AM ^
They should open an in-stadium dispensary instead.
Cheers.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:38 AM ^
Same.
But until then, just hide in a bathroom stall with a vape pen like I do.
October 24th, 2019 at 11:00 AM ^
Yep. and fireball shooters.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:33 AM ^
I’ve been to college stadiums that sell alcohol and the experience is no different than M stadium. People sip on another beer after tailgating instead of sipping on the pint of whiskey they smuggled in.
October 24th, 2019 at 2:16 PM ^
This is my take as well. I went to Kansas State vs. TCU last weekend (my wife's family are all from there) and they added a beer patio section to their stadium this year. I like this approach - let people who want to pay $10 for bud light do it, but they have to stay on the patio. This keeps the people who don't want to be exposed to drinking and/or drunk people satisfied as well - just don't go to the beer patio if you don't want to be around it.
October 24th, 2019 at 10:40 AM ^
Not a fan. Those bathroom lines are long enough without thousands of gallons of in-stadium beer consumption added to the event. Just think of all those Sparty's pissing themselves !
October 24th, 2019 at 10:42 AM ^
I for one will not spend 8.00 for a plastic cup full of bud light, miller light, etc. Now, you start selling cans of craft brewed IPA's or stouts, I might reconsider. But those would probably sell for 13.00 since they charge 4 buck for a bottle of water.
October 24th, 2019 at 11:27 AM ^
You can’t complain about the price of water when they are giving it away.