Will K-State sell beer at football games? The idea is on AD Gene Taylor’s radar
Shortly after he took over as Kansas State athletic director, Gene Taylor said he would never change the Wildcats’ policy on alcohol sales and permit fans to purchase beer in general seating areas at Bill Snyder Family Stadium.
His stance has changed after a year on the job.
“I have softened a little bit on that,” Taylor said Tuesday at Big 12 Media Days. “I see more and more institutions that are going to it. The NCAA is now allowing it at the College World Series; I think they are going to allow it at the Final Four eventually. More and more college stadiums are going to it.”
Oklahoma State was the latest to embrace beer sales. The Cowboys will sell beer throughout home games this season, becoming the third Big 12 school to do so along with Texas and West Virginia.
Could K-State become the fourth?
“I would say it’s on the radar,” Taylor said. “We just literally had a brief conversation about it with our senior staff on Monday because Oklahoma State announced their deal. But there are so many things that go into it. Before we even get deep into any conversation, we would have to sit down with the university folks and get with campus police, security and our concessionaire.
“And then, is that what we really want to do philosophically? We have such a great family atmosphere.”
K-State does allow beer sales at its baseball games, as well as in the club and suite levels during football games. But it has never sold beer at concession stands on Saturday afternoons.
Texas and West Virginia have each profited millions off alcohol sales. The Longhorns even have a beer sponsorship with Corona. But some prefer an alcohol-free environment.
“The stadiums that have gone to it all say it has reduced a lot of their alcohol problems, because you don’t have that power drinking (before games or at halftime),” Taylor said. “But we also have exit and re-entry, so maybe we don’t have that issue. There are a lot of things that go into it. So far, we have had a brief, two-minute conversation about it.”
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby addressed the topic of beer sales on a wider scale on Monday.
“It’s largely a matter of institutional culture,” Bowlsby said. “From a personal standpoint, I do think that selling alcohol in the stadium is probably superior to having pass-outs at halftime where everybody goes out and power drinks for the length of the halftime.
“I think that from a game management standpoint, it’s better managed with a controlled environment inside, but reasonable people can disagree on it.”
The debate remains in its infant stages at K-State. But it could grow into something more.
“It is something we will talk about this year,” Taylor said, “and see how it goes.”
This story was originally published July 17, 2018 at 2:07 PM.