The Southeastern Conference today announced a revision to its existing limitations on the availability of alcoholic beverages at athletics events. Under this revised policy, each institution in the Conference may now determine the permissibility of selling alcoholic beverages in its athletics venues, subject to certain Conference-wide alcohol management expectations. The revised SEC policy on alcohol availability, which was approved during the Conference’s 2019 Spring Meetings, requires any SEC institution choosing to permit alcohol sales at athletics events to establish policies governing the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages consistent with requirements established and agreed to by the Conference membership. In the past, SEC athletics programs have been prohibited from selling alcohol in public areas of SEC athletics venues.
The conference made it clear that today’s announcement is not a mandate to sell alcohol.
Mizzou responded in a joint statement from University of Missouri Chancellor Alexander N. Cartwright and Athletic Director Jim Sterk:
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. 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. 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. The IAC is a standing committee of MU that has broad representation from the campus community and includes faculty, staff, students and alumni.
The revised policy adopted by the presidents and chancellors requires institutions to implement a series of Conference-wide alcohol management procedures, including the establishment of designated stationary sales locations, a restriction prohibiting sales by vendors in seating areas, a limit on the number of alcoholic beverages purchased per transaction and designated times that sales must cease specific to each athletics event. Any sales of alcoholic beverages in the public seating areas will be limited to beer and wine, and each institution that chooses to sell alcohol will be required to implement a server training program for staff. The policy does not impact suites, clubs or private leased areas in which the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages was previously permitted under existing SEC regulations.
This map from April of 2018 compiled by the Des Moines Register shows which schools sold alcohol at sporting events.
