Those waiting for the days when they can attend a football game at Ohio State and enjoy a frosty alcoholic beverage will have to keep waiting. Ohio State has no intention of selling beer in Ohio Stadium, according to a report.
As reported by Jeremy Fowler of CBSSports.com, Ohio State Athletics Director Gene Smith said Friday he agreed with previous comments issued by his counterpart at Michigan, Dave Brandon, in suggesting Big Ten tailgating scenes are a little different and perhaps take away from the demand or interest in alcohol sales inside the football stadium.
“I thought (Michigan AD) Dave Brandon said it well, we’re slightly different,” Smith said. “Our people tailgate all day long. No difference to Texas, but I’m not so sure they have the same level of massive tailgating all day long.”
So, is Smith saying Texas fans don’t know how to tailgate? Regardless, Smith is smart enough to know that selling alcohol inside a football stadium brings a heightened sense of responsibility to monitor and enforce. Not that he or anyone takes security lightly, but once you add the influence of alcohol to a situation it demands more attention and sometimes more personnel to handle any problems and be on the lookout for potentially hazardous situations.
Ohio State’s rival, Michigan, will not sell alcohol in Michigan Stadium, but Minnesota wants to continue selling alcohol in TCF Bank Stadium. This idea is reaching beyond the Big Ten of course. Arkansas wants to do it and LSU is showing support for the idea. More schools will continue to evaluate the option,, especially when reports show how much money can be made.
