Jack Larish
Sports Editor
The University is breaking with the long-standing no alcohol policy at sporting events. Beer will now be sold at football games. The “beer garden” is expected to open on September 16 at the home game vs. Millsaps.
“It’s something that we’ve long considered,” said John Shackelford, the University athletic director, “one of the things we would like to see is more student involvement in all of our contests.”
Shackelford described the beer garden as a “trial run” for selling alcohol at athletic events. With this new policy, the athletic director expressed a desire to see appropriate, respectful behavior at games and wanted to know, “can our students and spectators handle this in a really positive way?”
The new policy does not allow fans to bring their own alcohol. However, fans will be permitted to bring beer purchased from the beer garden to the last section of the stands, which will be marked off, as well as to a designated space near an end zone.
Shackelford emphasized a primary concern with student and fan safety saying, “Students may choose to pregame before a game. And they may choose liquor instead of beer.” This new policy is aimed at limiting liquor consumption as it relates to Sewanee sporting events by offering beer as a safe alternative.
The athletic director added that, if the beer garden “trial run” goes well, it could be brought to other sporting events, “It’s not necessarily limited to football, but that’s just our starting point.”