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Mizzou weighs alcohol sales after SEC changes rules

Posted at 2:32 PM, May 31, 2019
and last updated 2019-05-31 15:32:27-04

DESTIN, Fla. — Southeastern Conference chancellors and school presidents approved revised rules Friday on the sale of beer and wine at sporting events, prompting the University of Missouri to announced it will explore the issue ahead of the 2019-20 season.

The changes are expected to enhance events and create a new revenue stream at a time when schools are spending more on coaches, improving facilities and preparing for the possibility of having to pay players.

"We are proud of the great game-day atmospheres the SEC and our member schools have cultivated throughout our history, and no other conference rivals the SEC in terms of our ability to offer an intense yet family-friendly atmosphere for all of our fans," said University of South Carolina President Harris Pastides, current chair of the SEC Presidents and Chancellors, in a statement from the conference. "This policy is intended to enhance the game-day experience at SEC athletics events by providing our schools the autonomy to make appropriate decisions for their respective campuses while also establishing expectations for responsible management of the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages."

The SEC's 14 schools were previously prohibited from selling alcohol in public areas at venues.

Each school now has the autonomy to decide whether to sell alcohol and, if so, to designate the locations where beer and wine will be available.

“We appreciate the Southeastern Conference developing a policy that provides us the authority to determine what is best for the University of Missouri regarding the sale of alcohol in public areas within our athletic venues,” MU Chancellor Alexander N. Cartwright and Mizzou Athletic Director Jim Sterk said in a joint statement from the school. “Our guiding principle in any decision will be maintaining the safety of our fans, student-athletes and staff while creating an atmosphere that reflects our institutional values.”

The new rules include a series of league-wide alcohol management procedures, including a restriction that prohibits sales by vendors in seating areas; a limit on the number of alcoholic beverages purchased per customer; and designated times that sales must end during events.

Alcohol sales in public areas will be limited to beer and wine. The SEC also has mandated school’s that choose to sell alcohol in public areas institute a training program for servers.

“We will begin a process with the Intercollegiate Athletics Committee to discuss the potential sale and consumption of alcohol in university facilities in the near future,” MU’s statement said. “The IAC is a standing committee of MU that has broad representation from the campus community and includes faculty, staff, students and alumni.”

Currently, alcohol sales are only permitted in private suites at Missouri athletic events.

A working group that included Mizzou Senior Deputy Athletic Director Sarah Reesman recommended the change at the SEC Spring Meetings in May 2018.

"As a Conference, we have been observant of trends in the sale and consumption of alcohol at collegiate sporting events and have drawn upon the experiences and insights of our member schools which have responsibly established limited alcohol sales within controlled spaces and premium seating areas,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. “We remain the only conference to set forth league-wide standards for the responsible management of the sale of alcoholic beverages."

The new policy goes into effect Aug. 1, 2019.