Southeastern Conference fans will have an added reason to celebrate the upcoming college football season.
The SEC announced Friday it will be removing existing limitations on the sale of alcoholic beverages at athletic events. Where previously alcohol sales in general seating areas had been prohibited league-wide, the new policy will allow each school in the conference to determine whether it will sell them in its stadiums and arenas.
South Carolina president Harris Pastides, current chair of the SEC's presidents and chancellors, said in a release the revision is meant to "enhance the game-day experience."
"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. 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 beverages will be limited to beer and wine and sold only from fixed concession stands, not vendors in the seating areas. For football games, sales must end by the end of the third quarter, and similar cut-off times apply in other sports.
The new policy will take effect Aug. 1 and does not impact club and suite areas of the stadium or arena that already are allowed sell alcohol, including hard liquor.
SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said a change has been discussed at length "in recent years." But it didn't occur until a recommendation was created at the May 2018 conference spring meetings.
"Our policy governing alcohol sales has been a source of considerable discussion and respectful debate among our member universities in recent years. 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. We remain the only conference to set forth league-wide standards for the responsible management of the sale of alcoholic beverages."
There are more than 50 Football Bowl Subdivision schools that allow alcohol sales in their stadiums, according to a 2018 report from The Des Moines Register.