Beer here? Penn State creeps closer toward decision on alcohol sales at Beaver Stadium
A committee that offers policy recommendations to Penn State’s decision-makers is set to consider Monday the proposed sale of alcohol at athletic events, one of the first approvals needed if beer is to be offered to the general public at Beaver Stadium.
The move, if OK’d by the university’s legal and compliance committee during its 5 p.m. meeting — and then at a later date by the full board of trustees — would buck a longstanding position and be the first major change made under new athletic director Pat Kraft.
Alcohol is currently only available in the suites and club section of the nation’s second-largest venue. That makes Penn State an outlier in the Big Ten, where eight of the conference’s 14 schools allow alcohol sales in public areas.
Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, Ohio State, Purdue and Rutgers offer alcohol, typically bringing in at least hundreds of thousands of dollars to schools that are trying to make more money and improve the game day experience as attendance declines.
Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Penn State and Wisconsin do not. State legislators in Michigan advanced a bill in July that would allow alcohol sales at college sporting events in the Great Lakes State.
“In general, I think it is a positive development, particularly from the perspective of university leadership being willing to consider and responsibly implement changes that, in the future, could potentially lead to new and different events being hosted in Beaver Stadium,” Happy Valley Adventure Bureau President and CEO Fritz Smith said in a written statement. “Beaver Stadium and the entire university sports complex are desirable assets to a variety of event organizers. Growing sports tourism in Happy Valley is one of our top goals as a destination marketing organization. Partnership with the university is a key factor in achieving that goal to the benefit of our local economy.”
One safeguard under consideration in Happy Valley is limiting the amount of alcohol that fans can purchase, sources previously told the Centre Daily Times. Ohio State only allows fans to purchase two drinks at a time and sales are cut off at the end of the third quarter.
Some schools with in-stadium alcohol sales have said the change can decrease binge drinking and improve safety. The thought is fans won’t drink heavily while tailgating or sneak alcohol inside the stadium if they know they can buy a drink inside.
But concerns exist, especially in a college town that has gone as far as paying bars to stay closed during State Patty’s Day.
Centre Safe Executive Director Anne K. Ard — who leads the State College-base nonprofit that provides services for survivors of sexual violence, relationship violence and stalking — openly wondered in her monthly column in the CDT, “What message are we sending to students and to the wider community with this decision?”
“Is the university actively enabling behavior that is problematic and may be life-alteringly dangerous? Alcohol consumption is perfectly legal for those over 21, and responsible adults should be able to drink without judgment,” Ard wrote. “But while it may be legal and profitable to sell alcohol during football games, one has to ask, ‘Is it wise?’ And does it contribute to or detract from the type of healthy relationships we are trying to build in this community?”
State College borough officials have not commented publicly as to whether they’d been in discussions with the university about potential sales. A spokesperson did not respond prior to publication Friday.
Penn State’s full board of trustees would need to approve any recommendation from the compliance and legal committee. The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 22-23, just before the Nittany Lions return to Beaver Stadium to face Central Michigan.
The board may schedule special meetings.
