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LARAMIE, Wyo. (AP) — Fans attending University of Wyoming football and basketball games will be able to buy beer and wine inside the stadium venues starting in the fall of 2017.
The UW Board of Trustees on Thursday approved alcohol sales at War Memorial Stadium and Arena-Auditorium.
Athletics director Tom Burman said the idea behind the sales is to provide a safer game experience by cutting down on people sneaking alcohol into the venue, especially the football stadium.
"I can tell you first hand the amount of alcohol concealed into the venue today is significant, mostly in the form of small bottles, hard liquor," Burman told the trustees.
It's estimated that beer and wine sales will amount to about $290,000 a year in net revenue for the university. The university will charge from $6 to $8 for each beer and wine serving, Burman said.
Burman said beer and wine will be sold until the end of the third quarter at football games and until the middle of the second half at men's and women's basketball games.
In order to help control who has access to alcohol, Burman said fans who are at least 21 years old will have their identification checked at stations equipped with special scanners that can detect fake IDs. In addition, their hands will be stamped and they will be given an arm band, he said.
"Then when they go to a sales stand they will be asked again for their ID, their hand stamp will be checked and they will be allowed to purchase no more than two beers per visit," Burman said.
Also, open containers outside the stadium will be prohibited when the game begins and the university will implement a "no re-entry" policy.
"We will have a no re-entry policy as we do not want people to go out and bring back in alcohol to drink straight or mix with drinks," Burman said. "If someone needs to go out to get a coat, medicine, etc., we will have check stations where this can be managed."
Trustee Mike Massie voted against the proposal, noting studies that have shown alcohol sales at college athletic events have not increased attendance and linked alcohol consumption with increase sex assaults.
"The enthusiasm we have for Cowboy football and basketball today is really great and it was built not on the fact that people can get a beer at a game or not," Massie said.
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