Beer at the Big House, Spartan Stadium? Bills introduced to permit sales at college venues.
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College football and basketball games in Michigan could feature beer and alcohol sales in the near future, if recently proposed legislation can make its way through the state Legislature.
Matching bills introduced by state Rep. Graham Filler, R-St. Johns, and Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, would allow state regulators to license all Michigan public universities to sell alcohol at football, basketball and hockey games, with sales being permitted an hour before kickoff, tip off and puck drop, and ending by the time the game does.
Lawmakers say it's time for Michigan's two most prominent college athletics programs — at the University of Michigan and Michigan State University — to catch up to their Big Ten colleagues. Currently, eight of the conference's 14 schools allow alcohol sales, per Filler's office. USC and UCLA, two schools poised to join the Big Ten in 2024, also permit alcohol sales at games.
In addition to catching up to other states, lawmakers say allowing universities to control the sale of alcohol at sporting events would reduce the instances of binge drinking that take place before fans get into stadiums and arenas.
“Giving universities the option to serve alcohol at their sporting events is about freedom, fairness, and recognizing that the responsible consumption of alcohol inside the stadium is much safer than the binge drinking that goes on in the parking lot,” Filler said in a news release.
Filler proposed similar legislation last year, but the bill never received a vote in the House. However, at the time, the bill's co-sponsor was now-Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit. If Tate, a former football player at MSU, still supports the measure, it could see movement.
Alan Haller, the athletic director at Michigan State, signaled support for alcohol sales at Spartan games last year as well.
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McCann noted that alcohol has been available at some college sporting events — for those watching the game from a suite.
“These bills will help create parity and fairness with other states that currently allow alcohol to be served to patrons in college sporting venues,” McCann said in a news release. “There is no good reason for this option to be available only for people watching the games in suites and no one else."
House Bill 4328 and Senate Bill 247 have been referred to the House and Senate Regulatory Reform committees.
Rep. Jimmy Wilson, D-Saginaw, has also signaled support for the proposal.
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"We have seen that when you regulate things in a more controlled way, in this case alcohol, you have better public safety outcomes,” Wilson said in a release. “This legislation shows that we can work together in a bipartisan effort to enhance public safety in a more regulated manner, while still promoting fairness and freedom.”
Universities have been allowed to obtain liquor licenses to allow alcohol sales at events they've hosted, just not for college games. At Michigan Stadium, beer was sold during the 2014 NHL Winter Classic between the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs, as well a 2014 international soccer friendly between Real Madrid and Manchester United.
Contact Arpan Lobo: alobo@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Bills would allow alcohol sales at Michigan university sports games
