Fans cheer as players run onto the field at Ohio Stadium before a game. Credit: Lantern file photo
Beer will now be for sale at concession stands throughout Ohio Stadium during the 2016 football season, the university announced Wednesday.
The decision to make it available stadium-wide comes after a one-year pilot program in 2015, in which beer was available for fans with tickets in the club and suite levels of The ’Shoe.
Miller Lite and Coors Light will be the two domestic options available. It will be $8 for 16-ounce cans. Local craft beers will also be for sale, including brews from Land-Grant Brewing Company and North High Brewing, Jenn Sutherland, senior director of communications at Levy Restaurants, the stadium’s official food and beverage provider, told The Lantern.
The craft options will be $9 and four concession stands dedicated to the craft brews will be created at the stadium.
Revenue generated from the sales will be used to fund two full-time positions within the university’s police department, the release said. The annual cost of the positions is estimated around $300,000. They will not just be for game-day safety.
“The safety of our campus community, including fans and visitors, is our number one priority,” said Craig Stone, the chief of OSU police, in the release. “Thanks to this partnership with the Department of Athletics, two new, full-time officers will bolster our security presence and enhance campus safety year-round.”
Furthermore, $50,000 from the beer-related revenue over the next two years will go to fund research being conducted by John Clapp, a professor and director of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Recovery at OSU.
The research explores alcohol consumption and the way it impacts the culture at events.
Remaining revenue will be directed to the athletic department’s general budget to assist in funding student-athlete initiatives, such as study abroad and community-service programs.
OSU becomes just the second school in the Big Ten to sell alcohol to the general public at football games, according to a list compiled by USA Today. In-state counterparts Akron, Kent State, Cincinnati and Toledo already offer beer.
In addition to the sale of beer, the university also announced in the release that bags larger than 5x8x1-inches are no longer allowed at games. Clutches and wristlets roughly the size of a hand will be permitted.
“We are confident this new policy will create a safer environment for our fans,” Stone said. “We also believe the policy will expedite the process of getting our fans into the stadium and to their seats.”
The bag policy is also in effect for the Buckeye Country Superfest from June 18-19 and the International Champions Cup soccer match July 27 at Ohio Stadium.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with information on beverage options and pricing.
