Alcohol at the Big House!
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A new state law allows alcoholic drinks to be sold at college sporting events in Michigan.
“Authorizing the legal sale of alcohol at sporting events will bring us on equal footing with other universities, help reduce the likelihood of binge drinking before games, and bring in a heck of a lot more revenue that we can use to improve the student experience,” Whitmer said in a statement.
Or now can binge drink before game and keep the buzz going!
Hell yeah! First round of Natty Ices are on me!
$25/can is the Big House price.
s/
Yeah, but you get 107.601 ounces.
Real talk: whatever the regular serving size would be, they should add 1 oz to every pour for Fritz Crisler
Underrated comment
What could possibly go wrong?!?!
Don't ask
Good Lord!
This is just a law allowing UM to sell alcohol if they wanted, but as far as I know the University itself is still prohibiting it.
It'll probably happen in the future, but right now there's no booze being sold in the Big House
If it happens, it won't be fast. No way does Michigan (fergodssake) implement a change that drastic upending years of Big House operations, with barely more than 2 weeks until kickoff. I'd be stunned if there is booze in the Big House this year.
Wait, the season starts in two weeks?
Really? It could happen fast.
Carl Grapentine no longer says "LADIES and GENTLEMEN." He now says something like ALL MICHIGAN FANS or something stupid like that.
Years and years and years of tradition. gone.
It's stupid that he is being more inclusive with his wording?
You can't be more inclusive than 100%
Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between
I heard that in Carl’s voice and it was pretty awesome.
Glad I'm not the only one who noticed before CSU last year and immediately had my pregame marching band chills completely killed by the sudden change of the wording.
The "celebrating years of Title IX" justification was total bullshit as well.
You people are so lame lol. Get a hobby or something.
Uh, this is our hobby
I would be willing to wager there will be fireball shots in section 41.
Party in the tunnel! The next tunnel brawl will be a drunken brawl.
Sorry, but I draw the line on that. The tunnel, while of age, should not be allowed to drink.
I agree, the tunnel should not drink. After all, the beer will go right through it.
I'll show myself out ...
and last year it had a really bad case of 'spartans'. the smell, the mess, just gross.
Like a bad fungal infection.....
Soon fans will be draping beer bong hoses down for the players on their way out
Not to say this isn't news, but I'd caution against any hot takes that this will change things in a big way - there has been alcohol at the Big House for years. As a kid in the 90s, I used to watch a group of older people that sat in front of me all drink from a flask each Michigan touchdown, and I know people bring plenty of tiny bottles in recent years too too. If people have wanted to be drunk at games, they have been
So we've met? Cheers!
Having helped with post-game stadium cleanup the last couple years, I can confirm the current state is far, far from alcohol-free.
I’ve helped clean a smaller football stadium. Much respect to you for the effort. It is a disgusting job and I’m so thankful to all who do it.
Just imagine how much worse the job was in the mid 90s when the place would be littered with a thousand smashed marshmallows.
This is about revenue more than the drinking. Which is why you will likely see it as soon as possible.
I am guessing M stands to gain a minimum of $100k per home football game revenue/profit with this move. (I think typical commission to the venue from the sellers is 30-60% of sales.)
Tennessee made 3.3 million from beer sales last season.
Is that the revenue figure or the net profit figure?
Looks like that is total sales and not profit.
Here is about all I could find in terms of what Tennessee makes off sales, which appears to be 50%.For the 2022 season
Opponent: Alcoholic drinks sold | Revenue
- Ball State: 30,468 | $369,403
- Akron: 27,828 | $342,828
- Florida: 54,970 | $669,345.15
- Alabama: 61,139 | $696,964.35
- UT Martin: 23,689 | $281,275.73
- Kentucky: 45,681 | $548,906.86
- Missouri: 34,657 | $421,835.84
- Totals: 278,432 | $3,330,558.93
The 2019 season, the first with alcohol sales at UT games, generated $1.46 million in revenue in seven home games and a $730,000 take for UT.
If revenue was the only goal, you would have been seeing ads plastered all over the stadium (like in Columbus and East Lansing) for years. They give up millions per year by not doing this. This gives me just a little hope they stay away from alcohol sales as well.
I'd also point out that many other schools allow alcohol sales inside the stadium and it's typically beer/seltzers from my experience. That said, we all have those friends (including ourselves I'm sure) who don't need that extra beer at the point of intoxication but that's much better than the extra shot or mixed drink that can really turn it up to 11.
There's also logistical barriers and deterrents such as pricing, standing in line, ID checks, serving limits, anticipated bathroom runs, and lack of selection that don't really make this the Lake Havasu free-for-all some are making it out to be. It may (but probably not) reduce the pressure to binge prior to games if you know you can grab an $10 Coors Light or a $14 Oberon in a pinch.
Full bar possibilities up in the suites and limit to beer and wine in the general seating areas is my guess what happens. Maximizes revenue/profit with the least risk.
I suspect (if Michigan even decides to sell alcohol in the stadium), that it will affect the rest of the stadium more than the student section. I can certainly see real adults choosing to buy an overpriced beer, but -- at least speaking for myself and my friends back in our student days -- we wouldn't have traded our easily-smuggled $1 fireball shooters for a bulky, $10 beer.
If Michigan does decide to sell alcohol, I hope they only sell cans/non-glass bottles. I don't mind people drinking alcohol in the stadium, but I don't like the idea of giving drunk people an open drink that is easily spilled on other people.
First Michigan game I attended was in the mid 1980's against Wash St. and believe it or not, you were able to bring coolers into the stadium. That sounds as wild as remembering when people could smoke on airplanes.
I never thought it was a good idea to sell alcohol in the Big House. So many fans are already tuned up from a long day of tailgating and use the four quarters with excessive TV timeouts to sober up.
1986 was the last year you could bring small coolers and beer into the stadium.
Bud Light will just promote hydration. If they start selling Founder's Dirty Bastard or something, beware.
No combo better than Fall football and Canadian Breakfast Stout.
I'd be okay with a Doppelbock or Dunkel in honor of the German players on the team.
They can't even sell water correctly. Maybe they need a beer fountain. Bring your own mug
State will be a fun place!
This is fool's gold. I have been to several college football stadiums across the country that sell alcohol and I can tell you that it's not as great as it sounds. First of all the beer is very expensive. Secondly if you truly care to watch the game, this is not a good option for you. You'll spend so much time waiting in beer and bathroom lines.
I was actually at the NW vs. Nebraska game in Dublin last year when they gave out free Guiness because the credit card machines were down. Of course the beer lines were outrageous because, free beer. But I'll bet a large majority of the fans at that game watched about half the game.
The only real value for this is if you can get alcohol in a suite or less crowded club level area. I have been fortunate to do this at LSU games. So unless you are in a suite at the Big House, this will prove to be a terrible idea.
It doesn’t interest me. I want to watch the game, not stand in line at concessions then the bathroom.
Maize and Luke, agreed.
I barely consume anything in the hours leading up to and during the game.
Don't want to have to visit the restroom...wait in food/drink lines...etc...which almost always causes one to miss part of the game.
I don't even really enjoy tailgating before the game...as I don't want to be buzzed/drunk.
My focus is on the game. I enjoy the atmosphere and school spirit, but that's secondary to what's happening on the field.
I have also been to to tons of college football games where they sell beer, and it's great! Watching football and drinking beer at the same time is a ton of fun! If you don't like lines, or don't want to miss the game, or don't want to pay stadium prices, or just don't want a beer, you actually don't have to buy one!