Business Week (Vicki Smith)
West Virginia University athletic director Oliver Luck wants the Board of Governors to consider allowing controlled beer sales at Mountaineer football games while he considers banning a re-entry practice that lets fans drink in parking lots, then return drunk and boisterous.
In a statement, Luck said Friday he believes fan behavior will improve with controlled sales inside the stadium.
“With responsible serving practices and proper vendor training, coupled with the elimination of stadium re-entry, we can control the consumption of alcohol,” he said. “… We also anticipate a financial benefit, which would help our self-sustaining athletic department.”
Luck said many college stadiums, including all of WVU’s Big East counterparts, are selling beer in some capacity.
Board chairwoman Carolyn Long said allowing sales would require changes to existing policy. Details of the proposed changes will be available on the board’s website sometime next week, she said, and will be subjected to a 30-day comment period.
Beer has never been sold for general consumption at Mountaineer Field. However, it’s been available in the private, individually leased suites at the stadium since 1994.
The athletic department also informed the board of others changes it’s considering for game-day operations that do not require board approval, including barring re-entry.
Fans are currently allowed to leave Milan Puskar Stadium during daytime games and re-enter, but that practice is prohibited for night games. Luck wants to extend it to all games.
“Public safety is paramount to our game-day operation of the football stadium and other athletic venues,” he said. “We have an obligation to provide a safe, friendly atmosphere for Mountaineer fans and our visiting supporters.”
Luck said few stadiums across the country — and none in the Big East — allow re-entry.
He’s also considering moving the designated smoking areas outside the crowded concourse in response to longstanding complaints from fans forced to inhale smoke.
