Michigan State football: Could alcohol soon be coming to Spartan Stadium?

Some politicians are talking about bringing alcohol to college stadiums. Could we soon have Michigan State football games with alcohol?

Any sports fan can picture it. It’s a football Sunday in the fall. Your favorite NFL team is getting ready to play. You’re out tailgating, having some hot dogs, throwing a football around, enjoying an ice-cold adult beverage. From there you go into the stadium, grab some overpriced food and a few more cold ones. Finally you sit in your seat and enjoy watching your team fight for a win.

The same could be said for Saturday college games with one major exception. If you’re a Michigan State football fan, the adult beverages stop being consumed the second you enter Spartan Stadium.

For many years, there has been a lot of fighting among college football fans trying to get the sale of alcohol into their stadiums, much to no avail. The debate being that some don’t think college students can responsibly have alcohol served during games. The idea is that college students come to tailgate and drink excessively there and should not be able to buy more alcohol during games. Others for the sale argue that they are adults and can choose whether they should be able to buy something. Also some say that being able to buy during games would prevent over consumption prior to coming in because they will have the option to spread out drinks.

Regardless of which side of the argument you are on, we may soon have a decision on the debate. According to the Free Press’s Arpan Lobo, bi-partisan members of the Michigan House of Representatives introduced a bill on Tuesday that would allow state regulators to license all Michigan public universities to sell alcohol at football, basketball, and hockey games introduced matching bills yesterday. This bill notes that alcohol sales would be allowed an hour before kick/tip off or puck drop and end at the time the game does.

Lobo wrote, “Lawmakers say its time for Michigan’s two most prominent college athletics programs (Michigan and Michigan State) to catch up to their Big Ten colleagues.” Especially with USC and UCLA joining the conference next year. The two California programs both allow alcohol sales and currently eight of the Big Ten’s 14 members also allow alcohol sales as well.

This idea has been brought up in the Michigan Legislature before and failed, but now that the bill is receiving bi-partisan support, we may see some traction moving forward. It is also helps that the current Speaker of the Michigan House is Joe Tate from Detroit. Tate is a former Spartan football player and has long supported sales of alcohol at football games.

The bills have been referred to subcommittee and will continue to move through the legislative process. The hope is that this can be moved through and passed before the fall. This would give universities time to put plans in place for the upcoming football season.

Whether or not that happens remains to be seen but this is something that has been long overdue. You know this will have the support of the universities who could attract more people to games. The additional revenue would make them happy, too, I’m sure. We all know of a few times that alcohol would have helped a lot at Spartan Stadium. Hopefully soon that is an option.

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