A toast to the Bears: MSU to sell alcohol before game
For the first time, Missouri State University will sell alcohol on campus Saturday to the general public, including students, before a sporting event.
The change comes with a newly located tailgating area north of the stadium called BearFest Village. The sales will happen for three hours prior to the first home football game of the season at the renovated Robert W. Plaster Stadium.
President Clif Smart said he amended university policy to allow alcohol to be sold on campus by the university's contracted dining service, Chartwells. The option of selling alcohol was built into the contract with Chartwells, but MSU policy prohibited alcohol sales to the general public at university athletic games.
"I think there's an interest and demand to responsibly drink before a game," he said. "I think this is a very minor change."
In the past, tailgaters were allowed to bring beer or wine into specified parking lots south of Grand Street before the game. That was technically off campus, although right across Grand from the stadium.
No kegs or hard liquor is permitted in the new tailgating area and no alcohol will be allowed inside the stadium with the exception of the suites, where alcohol has been served in past years.
"We have for many years allowed people to bring alcohol in the parking lots for tailgating where BearFest has been, now we do allow people to bring alcohol into BearFest Village on campus," Smart said. "It would also be appropriate for us to sell alcohol, frankly, as one way to manage and check and make it convenient for folks who didn't want to lug coolers."
Amber Hensley, Missouri State Dining Services director of marketing, said Chartwells obtained a license to sell a "popular brand of beer" for $3 per 12 ounce can at a tent during pregame tailgating in BearFest Village. Beer sales will begin at 3 p.m. and end when the game starts at 6 p.m.
The university indirectly benefits from the beer sales, Smart said, as the money generated is lumped into total sales by Chartwells.
"In terms of all of the Chartwells sales actions, if they're successful in meeting certain monetary marks then we share profits," he said. "I presume it might have some marginal impact."
Smart said the sale of beer will be highly enforced.
Kyle Moats, MSU's director of athletics, said alcohol sales is something the public wanted at football games.
"We heard that from the public and this was the way to do it to go through Chartwells. I don't know if that's something that will draw more people," he said.
Along with beer, Chartwells, which is also referred to by MSU as its dining service, will sell food during the pregame events at BearFest Village.
"If you don't want to tailgate and go the trouble of tailgating, then I would say it would be more convenient," Moats said. "We're trying to cater to everybody."
When asked about the new policy, Jim Blaine, a local physician and chairman of the Springfield-Greene County DWI Task Force, said he was not aware that the university would begin selling alcohol at football games.
"No one at the DWI Task Force was aware," he said. The 30-member committee includes representatives from the Springfield Police Department, the Greene County Sheriff's Office, Springfield City Council, the Greene County Prosecutor's Office and community members.
"We were concerned, of course," Blaine said. "Anytime you've got a large venue like that with new alcohol sales, our concern in completely based on the structure, enforcement structure, concerning sales to minors and sales to any inebriated patrons and of course our biggest concern is going to be impaired driving. Those things are just inherent to alcohol sales."
He said the task force expects to discuss any issues associated with the change at the task force's next meeting later this month.
"We definitely have a concern for anytime alcohol is served en masse, however, we would expect this to be well-managed and enforced," he said.
Randy Blackwood, MSU's executive director of athletic and entertainment facilities, said the university does not sell alcohol to the general public at its other sporting contests or university-sponsored events at Juanita K. Hammons Hall for the Performing Arts and JQH Arena. Alcohol sales are permitted in the private suites and Prime Overtime Club.
"Essentially we have just felt its not appropriate to be making money on alcohol sales via the backs of students," he said.
However, when Hammons Hall or JQH is rented out for concerts, for instance, the sale of alcohol to the general public is provided by Ovation Food Services.
"At a concert, depending on the event, (alcohol) can be a significant part, over half, of sales," Blackwood said.
He said the university does benefit from those sales, as well as food sales.
In May 2011, the News-Leader reported that a task force recommended the university sell alcohol at basketball games to boost revenue. At the time, university officials, including then-president James Cofer, said there was no rush to begin alcohol sales, but it may be explored in the future.
When asked if public alcohol sales could soon be seen at basketball games at JQH, Blackwood said it was possible. "Although that really has not been on the radar."
Alcohol policy
According to the university alcohol policy, "The campus has been designated as alcohol free, and any proposed use or sale of alcoholic beverages outside of the parameters set forth in this policy must be approved in writing by the President of the University."