Beer and football are a common pairing as fall rolls around and this football season beer will now be
sold in Veterans Memorial Stadium.
A variety of beer will be served from 16 ounce cans poured into cups. The alcohol will cost $5 a cup
and can be purchased two at a time. Students will present proof of being 21 and then will be given a
wristband to wear.
Due to logistics, draft beer will not be sold at the football games but it remains a possibility in the Trojan
Arena.
According to Athletic Director John Hartwell, it is estimated that Troy will be able to generate $200,000
on an annual basis from selling beer at football, men’s basketball, women’s basketball and baseball
games.
Last baseball season, alcohol was served at Riddle-Pace Field but due to less than ideal weather not
as many fans were present and the sale of beer was not widely publicized. The total revenue from last
season was around $7,000.
Proceeds from the beer sales will be used to help fund the North End Zone Project at the football
stadium.
The university’s Board of Trustees approved of the resolution in December 2013 after considerable
thought and study of other colleges who had implemented alcohol sales.
“There were two primary reasons for doing it,” Hartwell said. “One is to enhance the fan experience and
two is to provide another amenity to fans.”
Troy plans on following the sports industry’s standard practices of safely allowing alcohol sales such as
checking IDs and cutting off sales after the third quarter at football games.
“Certainly we want to make sure that all of our athletic facilities are both fan friendly and family friendly.
We’re making sure we take the precautions in terms of our security folks and making sure that everyone
who purchases or transports or consumes within our venues is of age.”
For those afraid that games will lose the family friendly atmosphere, Hartwell used the example of how
Ruby Tuesday remains family friendly despite the fact they sell alcohol.
“People may choose to or choose not to purchase a beer but that doesn’t mean people are getting crazy
at Ruby Tuesday,” Harwell said. “We’ll take the safe guards to make sure that it will remain a fan friendly
and a family friendly environment.”
According to Detective James Taylor, if a person is caught giving alcohol to a minor he or she will be
charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and will be faced with possible ejection from
the game or arrest.
As stated in the student handbook, The Oracle, the university reserves the right to contact the parents
or guardians of underage students caught drinking alcohol. Underage drinkers will be prosecuted
according to state law and fined $75 by the university if they are a first time offender.
In the event that a fan does become rowdy while under the influence, that individual will be escorted
out of the stadium and can possibly face arrest, depending on the circumstances.
Hartwell is hopeful that the sales will increase the attendance of fans and the duration of their stay.
Based off of studies of colleges that do allow alcohol sales, the amount of binge drinking decreased and
fans were willing to stay at the game longer because they can purchase beer.
Troy’s first home game is against Duke on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 6.p.m.
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