Improvements during MSU football games

One area of concern for high risk drinking is during home MSU football games in the tailgate area, especially during halftime.  Many of the fans that attend MSU football games exit the stadium during halftime and go to the tailgate area. Many stakeholders interviewed during PCSAP meetings noted that the highest amount of alcohol consumption during football games occurs at half time.

In 2012, MSU began serving beer and wine during concerts and rodeo events in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, in part to discourage attendees from drinking prior to the events and then driving to campus. Current MSU policy states that beer and wine sales are discontinued half-way through the event to ensure plenty of time before attendees departs the venue. MSU Auxiliaries and MSU Police believe on-site beer and wine sales have decreased the number of alcohol incidents involved with these activities.  Beer and wine sales at Brick Breeden offer an example of potential changes to beer sales at Bobcat Stadium.   MSU currently serves alcohol in the “club” section of the stadium during football games.    Moving alcohol consumption from an all-you-can-bring model in the tailgating area to one in which servers could decline sales to intoxicated patrons may reduce overconsumption at games.   

For more information on this idea:  http://freakonomics.com/2012/09/06/can-selling-beer-cut-down-on-public-drunkenness-a-new-marketplace-podcast

Recommendation #8

  1. Similar to other major Division I football stadium policies (West Virginia University, University of Minnesota), MSU should develop a plan to study the feasibility for a “no re-entry” policy for ticket holders during home football games. 

  2. As part of this feasibility study, MSU should gather appropriate data that would assess the benefits and liabilities associated with selling beer in the non-club sections of the stadium.

  3. This study should be started in Summer 2016 and be conducted by the Center for Health and Safety Culture at Montana State University.  The full CASAC should review the findings from this study in Spring 2017 and make a recommendation on any policy changes. 

  4. If the decision is ever made to adopt a no re-entry policy and to implement beer sales in the non-club section of Bobcat Stadium, a portion of the new revenue generated from beer sales in the stadium will be donated to additional risk-reduction and alcohol educational programs for students at MSU.

  5. The Commission fully endorses additional levels of enforcement of currently existing tailgating policies that reduce high risk drinking starting immediately.