Newsstand: Alcohol sales approved for Michigan football games
The Michigan Wolverines will have alcohol sales at football games this fall, the university announced this week.
From a release sent out Thursday:
The University of Michigan Athletics Department will implement alcohol sales at Michigan Stadium beginning with the 2024 football season after carefully reviewing previous alcohol sale rollouts and fan experiences at Yost Ice Arena and Crisler Center.
The Board of Regents voted May 16 to implement a Class C liquor license at the “Big House,” starting Aug. 31 with a home football game against Fresno State.
In October 2023, the Board of Regents approved asking the Michigan Liquor Control Commission for liquor licenses for three U-M athletic venues — Michigan Stadium, Yost Ice Arena and Crisler Center. The board also voted to implement licenses for Crisler and Yost — which began in February — and to review the rollout of those two venues before considering implementation at Michigan Stadium.
Part of the implementation process included the athletic department collaborating and regularly meeting with campus partners — including the Office of Student Life, Division of Public Safety and Security, Risk Management and Government Relations — to ensure a safe and responsible rollout of alcohol sales at Crisler and Yost, which began in February.
There have been no reported behavioral issues related to drunken behavior or medical responses related to alcohol at either venue since the implementation.
Information gathered from this review helped inform best university practices amongst the venues and scale the sale of alcohol sales to Michigan Stadium.
Procedures to ensure compliance with state of Michigan laws and Liquor Control Commission rules and regulations have also been implemented by the athletic department, as well as U-M policies related to alcohol.
To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience, regulatory features also include requiring all patrons to show ID at every purchase and limiting each transaction to two alcoholic beverages per legal-drinking-age guest.
In addition, the athletic department has been collaborating with the Office of Student Life on responsible alcohol consumption messaging at each of the venues to ensure a safe environment for all fans at every event.
Michigan Athletics will use the revenue for operational expenses, with a portion going to the university to help fund campus research projects.
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Michigan quote of the day
“I think the one thing we did do, as I look back, is we brought back family and we brought back tradition, to the way I knew it when I was playing at Michigan for the legendary [former Michigan head coach] Bo Schembechler.
“Proud to say that I did it much like Bo Schembechler, like [father and former Michigan assistant coach] Jack Harbaugh. That was the good of it, I knew all the good things there were, and you see some of the other side — the maybe not so good — and you try to chip away at it.”
– Former Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh on his tenure in Ann Arbor
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