Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Outdoor college Big Ten football, a lovely fall day, a cold beer...

Nope. No cold beer. There will be no alcohol served in the TCF Bank Stadium, the new home for the University of Minnesota's football team.

I hadn't realized that the Big Ten had previously banned sales of alcohol to students at Big Ten sporting events, so even that old-news part of this story is news to me. College football without beer (or hot chocolate with peppermint Schnapps for cold days). Does not compute.

3 comments:

love johnson said...

Never had it down here. I thought it was a Southern Baptist thing...but also folks get way too passionate about college football (count me in that group)and things could get WAY out of hand.

Arkansas fans are very excited because while you can't buy or sell beer at SEC games, our game this year with Texas A&M in the new Cowboys stadium is a neutral site and it is my understanding that beer will be sold. Could get ugly...

love johnson said...

I actually like the reasoning given by the lawmakers - either ensure everyone can or nobody.

At Arkansas (can't answer for the the other SEC schools, but I have a feeling the policy would be the same), if you have a suite, you can have as much of anything you want to bring yourself. For those in the cheap seats or club level seats (we are club level), nada.

The campus is alcohol-free, which means even tailgaters are not supposed to have any. They don't really hassle you unless you are brazen about your drinking (straight from a bottle or can)- if you drink whatever in a cup, it seems to be OK. The rational about allowing drinking in the suites is something along the lines of since you buy them, they are your property, even though they are "on campus".

Arkansas also plays 2 or 3 games a year in Little Rock. There the rules are vastly different. Drink anything, anywhere, except inside the stadium. There is a golf course next to the stadium where the tailgating is unreal and starts at 6am on game days. That is one reason why the atmosphere and decibel level at LR games is vastly superior to games on campus (stadium design also plays a part).

Stephanie said...

Yeah, I'm OK with no alcohol for anyone if they are denying it to some. I just can't comprehend that college students can't drink beer at a football game. I suppose there are lots of things that are different now that the drinking age is 21. It was 19 when I was in college. Dorms bought kegs for dorm parties; I don't suppose that happens anymore either.