Beer.
It goes with sports like a box score. A cup of suds at a baseball game is considered as much a necessity as the ticket to get in the gate. Tailgating outside a football game with a trunk full of iced-down coolers is often the activity for the many hours before and after the actual contest.
There’s drinking at South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium, Colonial Life Arena and Founders Park, but only in private suites and exclusive areas not available to the general public. The SEC has a rule prohibiting alcohol sales in general admission seats.
But as the annual SEC spring meetings approach — coaches, athletic directors and executives are due in Destin, Fla., Monday for a week-long session — changing that rule is likely to come up. LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M have been on record saying they’d like to see a change in the policy, and if the SEC does so — like going to a Big 12 model where the school makes the decision…
What do you think the odds are that this week’s SEC spring meetings are alcohol-free?
By the way, kudos to Boom for being rational about it:
“I don’t have any problem at all,” Gamecock football coach Will Muschamp said. “I look at different ways you have to generate revenue as an athletic department, so I’m all for it.”
Get The Picture 
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I’m not against drinking but I despise public drunkenness. I’m not eager to pass brewskies and cash up and down the row to a vendor. The guy behind me is always sloppy drunk as it is and always cursing in my ear about “that MFing Bobo”, yes still, so I guess a few more who don’t know when to quit won’t hurt. When it gets to where I can’t stand it anymore my option will always be to stay home. It will be coming to the SEC soon enough.
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Part of the issues is that people chug a few drinks right before heading into the stadium because they can’t get any more booze once inside. According to other places that have started alcohol sales in the stadium, they two kind of offset each other and there isn’t a new problem.
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I’m really excited about standing in line for 45 minutes to get a lukewarm Bud Light for $9.00.
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Word
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Your intro quip makes the whole point.
t’s not that the commoners can’t have it, it that the lords do have it.
Petty or not, the thought of that just makes folks resentful.
Don’t tell folks that it’s irresponsible to do something you’re doing..esp. adult folks.
I’m not in favor of drinking at public events, but doesn’t the fact that the club and suite patrons can do something in the same public stadium that other’s are banned from doing violate the “Equal protection under the law” principle of our law? (That’s a question,not a comment).
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I can’t picture the SEC allowing beer vendors in the stands but I can see the SEC selling space for stands. I can also see SEC schools selling to a brewery or two beer garden space outside the stadium.
The Rose Bowl had in its fan area a distiller’s free bourbon tent, another’s free tequila tent, another’s free scotch tent, and a brewery or two had free beer tents. There were zero problems from the consumers.
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When the $$$ show that it has to be done, the S$C will do so. All of a sudden the objections will just go away.
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Oh yeah, once waited in line at a MLB game, no prices posted, and found they wanted $11.00 for a beer. F that.
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Buying alcohol at a sporting event (other than the Masters) proves the proverb, “A fool and his money are soon parted.”
Speaking of the Masters, they sell a lot of beer out on the course at $5 a pop. No one gets out of hand … I wonder why.
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People do get out of hand at the Masters. Every year there are rampant stories of tickets lost because someone got hammered and loud and did something stupid.
I’m personally against alcohol sales in the stadium, any stadium. There are enough obnoxious drunks in the stands as is. Giving them access to more alcohol will not make the game day experience any better. That said, I’m sure as soon as the SEC decides there is enough money at stake, they will allow schools to make their own decisions. I hope Georgia decides to not sell alcohol in the stadium.
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Those stories are the one or two, and yes, the ultimate ticket holder is held responsible. If the UGA AA held season ticket holders to the same standard, you likely wouldn’t see rampant out of control behavior … sales in the stadium or not.
By the way, I’m opposed to sales inside the stadium as well.
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