Alcohol sales being considered for Alabama athletics events at Coleman Coliseum
Alabama athletics is in the process of bringing alcohol sales to Coleman Coliseum for men's and women's basketball as well as gymnastics and it could start in February, pending approval by the City Council of Tuscaloosa.
Alabama's concessionaire, Levy Premium Foodservice LP., has submitted an application to the city council for a liquor license for the sale of alcoholic beverages at the arena.
"It's still going to be a few weeks away," Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne told The Tuscaloosa News.
A public hearing for the application is set for 6 p.m. on Tuesday at City Hall.
Byrne said UA will be following state and SEC alcohol policies.
"It's something a lot of our fans have been asking for," Byrne said. "We've been able to watch the other schools and the reporting we have gotten back from other schools is that alcohol incidents at their games actually go down once they sell because it's a much more controlled environment."
In spring of 2019, the SEC lifted its ban on alcohol sales at all on-campus stadiums in public seating. The conference left the decision up to the schools whether they decided to sell alcohol or not.
“This new policy allows each campus to decide what is right for them,” UA said in a statement in 2019. “These guidelines will be helpful as we move forward and have future conversations. We have one of the best game-day atmospheres in the country, and we don’t envision making changes at this time.”
The plan to sell alcohol at sporting events on campus only extends to men's basketball, women's basketball and gymnastics at this time.
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Contact Alabama reporter Nick Kelly: nkelly@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_NickKelly
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alcohol sales being considered for Alabama athletics events at Coleman Coliseum
