South Dakota State planning beer sales at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium this fall
You’ll be able to crack a cold one at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium this season.
With the news last month that the Board of Regents approved the sale of alcohol at public universities in the state, South Dakota State is finalizing plans to sell beer at athletic events to the general public in the upcoming 2022-23 school year. The University of South Dakota previously said it plans to do the same. Both schools had previously been serving alcohol in premium seating areas only.
“I think the opportunity to allow folks that are buying a single-game ticket or other season ticket holders the opportunity to purchase a beer at our games and contests – by now it’s an expectation of the fan experience wherever you go,” said Jacks athletic director Justin Sell.
More: USD AD says school plans to move forward with expanded alcohol sales at athletics events
Sell said the school is developing plans to implement beer sales at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium this fall, where the SDSU football team begins play Sept. 10. Between now and then they’ll tackle staffing and logistical issues to put a plan in place, and Sell also said he expects pregame tailgating to be a significant part of the process. That will help the athletic department develop plans for basketball, too, with Frost Arena beginning its transition to First Bank and Trust Arena this year.
Beer sales have become more commonplace across college campuses in recent years, especially as studies have shown that alcohol-related incidents are reduced when schools sell beer at their facilities and put their own procedures into place.
It’s a revenue generator, to be sure, but one that has become a standard part of the fan experience in many places.
“From a revenue standpoint, the opportunity with a better environment, there’s a lot of things there,” Sell said. “You can sell more tickets, more Jackrabbit Club memberships, which increases values of corporate sponsorships – there’s a lot of pieces to it. A lot of people think it’s just the revenue from the sale of a beer, but it’s really not that for us. It’s across the board for us – with a better fan environment it’s the chance to generate some significant revenue in a variety of different areas. The combination of those is a really good thing. We’re excited to get that going this fall.”
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: South Dakota State planning beer sales at Dana J. Dykhouse Stadium
