Drinks and money flow into college sports in first full year of alcohol sales at games

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A law change in 2023 allowed alcohol sales at college sporting events in Michigan.U-M had the top sales with almost $5 million.Schools say they have not seen an increase in arrests or police calls.College sports fans in Michigan now experience something their professional sports counterparts know well: the beer line.
Universities across the state, led by the University of Michigan with its Big House, are selling millions of dollars' worth of alcohol to fans in the stands, something that for decades was illegal.
There's always been drinking at college sports, though mostly outside at tailgate parties. Donors and others in high-dollar suites have long had access to a bar. But in July 2023, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a new law making it legal for everyone of age to indulge at college games.

Turns out, college sports fans like to take the party inside, even at stadium prices.
The 2024 season was the first full year of sales for most schools and sales figures obtained by the Free Press under the Freedom of Information Act show college sports fans are bellying up to the bar for $10 Budweisers and Coors Lights as well as $12 Oberons and White Claws. The folks in the suites have even more choices, including trays of cocktails and $200 bottles of Moet & Chandon Imperial Brut or Glenlivet scotch.
The University of Michigan sold almost $5 million in alcohol at its sporting venues last year. Michigan State logged about $1.8 million in total sales. Coors Light beer was the best-seller at both schools.
Western Michigan sold about $273,000 in alcohol. Miller Lite was the favorite there. Northern Michigan did about $148,000 in sales, but the school didn't have a breakdown by brand.
Central Michigan University total sales were about $103,000 with Michelob Ultra selling the most. Grand Valley State sold about $98,000 and again, Coors Light was the best-seller.
Even small schools cashed in.
Lake Superior State University in Sault Ste. Marie sold about $50,000. Busch Light was the most popular brand there, followed closely by White Claw seltzers. Michigan Technical University sold about $21,000. Bud Light on draft was Tech's best-seller.
Ferris State brought in more than $7,800 and Bud Light was tops there as well.
Oakland University has chosen not to sell alcohol, spokesman Brian Bierley said. Wayne State doesn't either, though it is considering it, according to spokesman Matt Lockwood.
Eastern Michigan University said it couldn't provide sales figures because they were handled by a concessionaire.
The Free Press obtained the sales figures through Freedom of Information Act requests to the schools. Most of them provided the information within a week or two at no charge. Two schools, U-M and Saginaw Valley State University, demanded payment before processing the request.
U-M charged $350 in total and took almost two months to complete the request. Saginaw Valley State quoted a similar price, which the Free Press declined to pay.
No increase in arrestsSome critics of the law worried it could lead to more arrests and medical emergencies, but the schools said they have not seen problems related to the sales.
"We did not see an increase in arrests or alcohol related situations last season," U-M's Deputy Chief of Police Melissa Overton, said in an email to the Free Press.
Michigan State "has not experienced a significant increase in police calls for service at Spartan Stadium since alcohol sales began," spokeswoman Amber McCann said. "But they do continue to monitor and assess any number of factors that could impact game day security operations plans so that they can adjust accordingly."
That doesn't surprise Nels Popp, a professor of sports management at the University of North Carolina. He runs that school's Center for Research in Intercollegiate Athletics and worked on a study published in 2020 that examined crime data reports for 12 schools before and after they began selling alcohol in their stadiums.
"There were a lot of people on both sides of the argument that were trying to really make a strong case but we wanted to look at data," he said. "What we found was ... there was no statistically significant difference in the amount of incidences reported, pre and post."
Popp is quick to note that crime and other incidents do increase on game days compared with non-game days.
"But when you look at just the idea of serving alcohol, it doesn't seem to make any difference," he said.
Fan experienceThat was good news to state Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, one of the sponsors of the legislation that legalized such sales in Michigan.
"This is sort of what we hoped to achieve," he said. "It is about sort of enhancement of the fan experience, because a number of the other Big 10 schools and colleges across the country had shifted to this mode where they would allow consumption of alcohol at sports events."
Popp said most schools are looking at the fan experience when they decide to sell alcohol.
"There is a revenue bump but I don't think it's strictly a revenue play," he said. "It's more about the fan engagement and the game-day atmosphere. It's what fans want, so let's give it to them. If we don't, they're going to stay home, barbecue and drink at home and watch the game on TV rather than coming out to the venue."
Lake Superior State in Saulte Ste. Marie said spectators have embraced the chance to have a drink.
"The addition of alcohol to the menu has boosted overall sales and has been well received by our patrons," said Don Garrison, senior manager of Sodexo, the school's food provider. "Tracking and monitoring the sale of alcohol to our patrons has been seamless. We card and wrist band all those ordering alcoholic beverages through concessions. The band identifier allows for quicker service for any repeat customers and helps ID those that can and are consuming alcohol in the venue."
Popp said stadium prices can provide a built-in check on over-indulgence.
"It's pretty expensive to get really drunk at a football game, if you're only buying it in concessions," he said. "Obviously, people could still bring their stuff to tailgate before games, and you don't know what kind of condition someone's coming into the game with, but yeah, that's one big reason."

Price lists obtained by the Free Press show most schools sell domestic beers, typically in 16 ounce cans, for about $10 apiece. Imports and craft beers are more. They run $12-14. Seltzers like White Claw and High Noon, and single serve wines, are typically $12-14 as well.
But prices vary by school. A Labatt's Blue at Western Michigan's Lawson Ice Arena costs $10 but at the Norris Events Center at Lake Superior State, it's only $5.
By contrast, keg beer at a tailgate can average out to less than $1 a pour, depending on the brand.
How, where, whenAll of the schools have adopted policies governing how, where and when they sell alcohol. They typically have a two-drink max for purchases and smuggling your own booze in from outside is prohibited. Servers must be trained and check IDs.
Last call typically comes in or at the end of the third quarter of football games or the start of the third period in hockey games. At basketball games, schools watch the clock and typically cut off sales around the 10 minute mark of the second half.
The profits from the sales typically benefit the athletic department and some types of student services. In some cases, a portion of the proceeds is spent to raise alcohol awareness on campus.
Schools say they've been satisfied with how things have gone thus far, though they are still learning.
"Overall, I would call it a success from the financial side of things," said Rob Rademacher, chief operating officer of Michigan Athletics. "It was about what we expected and it was definitely worth it for us."
Other schools agreed and noted they are learning the nuances of the different crowds at different sports.
"Football went well in terms of sales. A lot of people in football, they're coming off tailgate," said Cal Seelye, executive director of auxiliary services at Central Michigan University. "When we went into McGurk arena, our basketball, volleyball, wrestling arena, sales were low. It's not the same."
Big House, big salesU-M had the most sales in 2024 driven by eight home football games at Michigan Stadium, the nation's largest college football venue. Coors Light was the drink of choice there, with more than 114,000 sold over the course of the season. The Big House alone sold almost $4.6 million in alcohol.
Rival Ohio State topped Michigan, selling more than $6.2 million in alcohol at its stadium, but more than half of those sales came at concerts rather than at games. Michigan Stadium will host its first concert this fall when Zach Bryan and John Mayer visit in September. Concertgoers will be able to buy drinks.
"My understanding is the concert crowd, from an alcohol standpoint, is entirely different," Rademacher said. "So we're talking to other venue operators to get their thoughts on it, and how you go about doing that, and what you have to be prepared for. We'll be ready."
Tom Hall, 58, of White Lake, has held season tickets to Michig