IIndiana University will allow beer and wine sales to the general public at football games for the first time this fall.
The university says it's part of a pilot program recommended by consulting firm Wasserman. IU will select a third-party vendor to conduct the sales.
The university hired Wasserman to study the possibility of wine and beer sales at football games. A study found more than 50 other schools that have such sales found their introduction resulted in improved gameday attendance. The analysis also found it resulted in a drop in alcohol-related incidents and safety issues.
"Schools like Ohio State have reported a 65 percent drop in alcohol-related incidents inside the stadium at home football games," says Senior Associate Athletic Director Jeremy Gray.
Gray says five other schools in the Big Ten sell alcohol at sporting events, including Purdue.
The vendor selected to sell beer and wine will be required to check identification of those purchasing beverages and maintain a two-drink limit during each transaction. Beer and wine sales will stop at the end of the third quarter.
Gray says IU already has plans for some of the revenue generated by the sales.
"Ten percent of the proceeds or the profit from beer and wine sales in Memorial Stadium will actually go to alcohol education and prevention programs on campus," he says.
A task force made up of university officials will oversee the pilot program. It will decide whether the program should continue or expand to other venues.