Nebraska Regents will consider selling beer at Memorial Stadium in Devaney

Next week, the University of Nebraska Board of Trustees will consider a sweeping change in university policy allowing the sale of alcohol at all athletic competitions, rather than requiring approval on a case-by-case basis .

The change would cause the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to comply with the policies and practices of the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where alcohol has long been available at Mavericks hockey games.

The proposal will be presented to the regents on October 4. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. in Room 120 of the Regional Engagement Center at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

NU President Jeff Gold said university leaders have “put a lot of thought and care” into allowing the sale of alcohol at sporting events in a way that makes sense for fans, student-athletes and the university.

“This is the next step as we consider how best to meet the expectations of our fans, carefully monitor safety and at the same time align Nebraska with our peers in the changing landscape of college athletics. ‘today,’ Gold said.

Regents previously reversed a 1999 ban on alcohol consumption at Husker events in February 2022, allowing administrators to approve beer and alcohol sales at UNL venues on a piecemeal basis.

Over the next two years, the board approved beer sales at the 2022 Big Ten Conference wrestling championships, as well as Husker men’s and women’s basketball games, all at the Pinnacle Bank Arena.

Earlier this year, NU regents agreed to turn on the taps at Haymarket Park for Husker baseball and softball games, and also agreed to include alcohol sales in the university’s bid to host the 2027 NCAA Bowling Championships at Sun Valley Lanes.

Memorial Stadium, along with the Devaney Center, however, remained on the periphery of the conversation, even as the rest of the Big Ten Conference overtook the Big Red.

Currently, the Century Stadium is the only venue in the conference where fans cannot purchase beer, wine or other spirits during a football game. The University of Michigan and the University of Wisconsin-Madison made the switch earlier this year, and Northwestern University incorporated alcohol sales into its new stadium project.

The regents have already approved the sale of alcohol at two special events: the Garth Brooks concert in 2021 and Volleyball Day, which set a world record in Nebraska last year.

Husker athletic director Troy Dannen said the sale of beer, wine and cocktails would not depend on a $450 million renovation of Memorial Stadium, as had previously been suggested, but rather on using a caterer to manage concessions on its sites. Before.

“We don’t need to redo the stadium to do this; we can renovate things to get by,” Dannen said in a telephone interview. “Part of the (request for proposals) with concessions will be to upgrade infrastructure before next year.”

These improvements, which include additional coolers, heated spaces and food preparation areas, will be needed whether or not the Huskers decide to make beer available at football games, Dannen said.

But fans’ expectations have changed in recent years, added Dannen, who witnessed alcohol sales firsthand during his previous jobs at the University of Washington, Tulane University, as well as the University of Northern Iowa.

“More and more, fans expect all the amenities they have at home,” Dannen said. “Today’s fans expect as much comfort at home as possible.”

Many caterers who have expressed interest in NU provide service at major stadiums around the country, Dannen said, where they sell beer, wine, hard sodas and other products in aluminum cans.

The types of alcoholic beverages that will be offered to fans will be determined later, he added.

“(Caterers) do this in 90,000-capacity buildings all over the country. They know what sells and what doesn’t sell,” Dannen said.

The caterer contract will likely be finalized by the end of the year, and improvement work throughout the stadium is expected to begin “as close to the last game” of the season as possible.

No major alcohol-related incidents have occurred at a Husker facility since the regents overturned the previous ban two years ago, the university said.

Dannen said Husker Athletics projects the department would generate between $3 million and $4 million in gross revenue from allowing sales at Memorial Stadium and the Devaney Center.

The new revenue would likely be returned to Husker athletes as part of an antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA, which will see student-athletes begin receiving a share of the revenue generated by their schools.

“Any opportunity we have to generate revenue to offset additional expenses is important,” Dannen said. “Every athletic department in the country is finding a way to create new revenue streams.”