Beer Sales At College Games: Impact On Binge Drinking

Binge drinking is a significant public health problem on college campuses across the United States, with almost half of full-time college students drinking alcohol and close to a third engaging in binge drinking. In an attempt to curb the issue, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism has recommended banning alcohol sales at college sporting events. However, this suggestion has been largely ignored, with more and more colleges opting to sell beer at games to boost attendance and revenue. This has sparked a debate about whether selling beer at college games decreases or increases binge drinking. While some colleges have reported a decrease in alcohol-related incidents and offenses, critics argue that selling alcohol at sporting events is not a prevention strategy and that it may even contribute to normalizing alcohol consumption among students.

Binge drinking and its consequences

Binge drinking is a serious problem, particularly among college-age individuals. It is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women, or five or more drinks for men, in about two hours. This drinking pattern can have serious health and safety risks, including car crashes, drunk-driving arrests, sexual assaults, and injuries. Over the long term, frequent binge drinking can damage the liver and other organs.

The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) estimates that about 1,519 college students aged 18 to 24 die annually from alcohol-related unintentional injuries, including motor vehicle crashes. Additionally, about 696,000 students in the same age group are assaulted by another student who has been drinking. Binge drinking is also associated with a higher risk of suicide attempts, health problems, unsafe sexual behavior, and driving under the influence.

Binge drinking can also lead to academic difficulties, with about one in four college students reporting issues such as missing classes or falling behind in schoolwork due to drinking. It can also result in poor motor control, slower reaction times, and impaired decision-making and impulse control. Furthermore, it increases the risk of memory problems and mental health issues.

The consequences of binge drinking are not limited to the drinker but also affect their families and the broader college community. It is essential to address this issue through a combination of individual-level interventions and environmental-level strategies to create a safer campus and reduce harmful drinking among students.

The history of beer sales at college games

For a long time, college football venues avoided selling alcohol. The primary reason was that colleges did not want to sell a product that a large portion of their students could not legally purchase. There was also the concern that selling alcohol would promote alcohol abuse, and that alcohol consumption at games could lead to security or legal issues.

However, in recent years, the taboo against alcohol in college sports has been rapidly disappearing. During the 2016 football season, more than three dozen Division I schools sold beer and sometimes wine at football games, often attended by thousands of underage students. In 2007, only six colleges did that.

The change was driven by various factors, including financial incentives, the belief that controlled stadium sales may reduce excessive drinking at tailgates, and the normalisation of alcohol at college sports events.

The first move towards selling alcohol at college games came with the rise of luxury boxes and premium seating. Alcohol was offered in these areas to lure big donors. Gradually, some colleges began to permit the stadium-wide sale of beer.

In 2011, West Virginia decided to sell beer inside the stadium to tackle excessive drinking in the tailgating lots. They were soon followed by Tulane, Minnesota, Syracuse, Cincinnati, Louisville, and several other schools. This trend was initially led by mid-level schools seeking new revenue, but it has since broadened to include top-tier football programs.

In 2019, there was a boom in alcohol sales at college football games, with 56 FBS schools starting to sell alcohol stadium-wide. As of the 2023 season, 88% of FBS schools sell alcohol, with only a handful of stadiums and one state (Utah) maintaining a ban on alcohol sales.

The impact on attendance and revenue

Selling beer at college games has become an increasingly popular strategy for improving attendance and revenue. In the past, beer sales at college football games were almost unheard of, but now many colleges are turning to alcohol to boost attendance and revenue.

In the last decade, alcohol sales at college stadiums have gone from nearly non-existent to a common feature, with fans now able to drink beer and, in many cases, wine, at the stadiums of universities including West Virginia, Cincinnati, Colorado at Boulder, Florida, Louisville, Maryland, Miami, Minnesota, Texas at Austin, and Toledo.

Selling beer at games seems to be working as an additional form of revenue. West Virginia University has received more than $3 million in revenue from alcohol sales since 2011, and Texas and Ohio State Universities reported more than $1 million in beer revenue in their first year of sales.

It is less clear whether selling alcohol has helped boost attendance. University officials say they have noticed more fans attending games and staying in the stands longer, but a paper published in the Journal of Sports Economics, which studied attendance at 29 mid-major football programs from 2005 to 2012, found "no evidence" of such a correlation.

Colleges also argue that there is a safety component to selling alcohol at games. They suggest that it reduces the pressure to drink before entering the stadium and that there is less binge drinking before games. For example, West Virginia University has reported a "sharp decline" in security incidents during home games since it started selling alcohol in its stadium in 2011. However, the university introduced a series of other precautions at the same time, including a campaign called High Five Rules, which encourages students and other fans to "engage in proper behaviour", and a rule that fans cannot re-enter the stadium if they exit before the end of a game.

The impact on binge drinking

There is conflicting evidence about the impact of selling beer at college games on binge drinking.

On the one hand, West Virginia University has reported a 30% decrease in alcohol-related offences since it started selling beer. It suggests that selling beer in a controlled environment cuts down on incidents.

On the other hand, a study published in January 2017 by the National Bureau of Economic Research found a 28% increase in rape reports by college-age women on days when Football Bowl Subdivision teams play. And earlier research has found that arrests for driving while intoxicated also increase on college game days.

While selling beer at college games appears to have a positive impact on attendance and revenue, there is conflicting evidence about its impact on binge drinking.

The impact on student behaviour

Binge drinking is a significant public health problem on college campuses across the United States, with serious consequences for students, their families, and the wider college community. The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has estimated that around 1,500 college students aged 18-24 die each year from unintentional alcohol-related injuries, including car crashes. In addition, an estimated 696,000 students in the same age group are assaulted by another drunk student annually.

The NIAAA and other researchers have found that certain aspects of college life, such as unstructured time, widespread availability of alcohol, inconsistent enforcement of drinking laws, and limited interaction with parents and other adults, can contribute to the problem. Students attending colleges with prominent athletic programs and Greek systems also tend to drink more.

In recent years, many colleges have started selling beer at sporting events to boost attendance and revenue. This has raised concerns about the potential impact on student behaviour, particularly binge drinking. While some colleges have reported a reduction in alcohol-related incidents after introducing beer sales, the overall evidence is mixed, and the NIAAA advises that selling alcohol at sporting events is not an effective prevention strategy.

Impact on Student Behaviour

The links between binge drinking and sporting events are complex and multifaceted. On the one hand, the availability of alcohol at college games may contribute to normalising alcohol consumption and encouraging excessive drinking. This is especially true for drinking games, which are often associated with college sports events and can lead to rapid intoxication and increased risk of alcohol-related harm.

On the other hand, some colleges have argued that selling beer inside stadiums can help reduce binge drinking by eliminating the pressure to "preload" before the game and providing a controlled environment for alcohol consumption. This theory suggests that students will drink less overall if they know they can access alcohol during the game.

The existing research on the impact of beer sales at college games on student behaviour is inconclusive. Some studies have found a decrease in alcohol-related incidents and arrests after the introduction of beer sales, while others have found no significant change or even an increase in problems.

For example, West Virginia University started selling beer at its stadium in 2011 and has reported a 30% decrease in alcohol-related offences since then. The University of Colorado at Boulder, on the other hand, banned alcohol sales at its football stadium from 1996 to 2014, citing drunken and violent fan behaviour. A 2010 study of the university found that "arrests, assaults, ejections, and student referrals to the judicial affairs office all fell dramatically" after the ban was implemented.

A study at Ohio State University found no clear evidence that selling beer at games reduced binge drinking. While the number of fans ejected from the stadium for disorderly behaviour decreased slightly in the first game after beer sales were introduced, university officials acknowledged it was too early to draw conclusions about the impact on student behaviour.

Overall, the impact of beer sales at college games on student behaviour is complex and varies depending on the specific context and the measures used to assess binge drinking. While some colleges have reported positive outcomes, the potential risks associated with normalising alcohol consumption and providing greater access to it during games are significant.

To effectively address binge drinking among college students, a range of strategies targeting individual students, the student body as a whole, and the broader college community are needed. These strategies should focus on changing student knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours related to alcohol to reduce consumption and associated risks.

The effectiveness of preventative measures

Binge drinking is a significant public health problem on college campuses across the United States, with almost half of full-time college students drinking alcohol and nearly a third engaging in binge drinking in a given month. Binge drinking is defined as consuming four or more drinks for women and five or more drinks for men in about two hours. Binge drinking poses serious health and safety risks, including drunk driving, sexual assaults, injuries, and long-term damage to the liver and other organs.

To address the issue of binge drinking, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has devised a set of remedies, including a ban on alcohol sales at college sporting events. However, this recommendation has largely been ignored due to cultural, practical, and financial reasons, and an increasing number of colleges are now selling alcohol at games. Despite this, there is no consensus on whether selling beer at college games decreases binge drinking.

Some colleges have reported a decrease in alcohol-related incidents and offenses since they started selling beer inside stadiums. For example, West Virginia University, which started selling beer at its stadium in 2011, has reported a 30% decrease in alcohol-related offenses. The University of Colorado at Boulder also reported a sharp decline in drunken and violent behavior after it banned drinking in its football stadium from 1996 to 2014.

On the other hand, critics argue that selling alcohol at sporting events is not an effective prevention strategy. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found a 28% increase in rape reports by college-age women on days when college football games are played. Additionally, arrests for driving under the influence also increase on college game days.

The effectiveness of selling beer at college games as a preventative measure against binge drinking is difficult to determine due to various confounding factors. For instance, colleges that sell beer at games often implement other precautions and campaigns to encourage responsible drinking. The availability of alcohol inside stadiums may also reduce the pressure to engage in binge drinking before entering the stadium.

Furthermore, the impact of alcohol sales at college games may vary depending on the specific college and its student body. For example, colleges with strong Greek systems or prominent athletic programs tend to have higher rates of binge drinking. Additionally, individual-level factors such as age, gender, and personality traits also influence the likelihood of binge drinking.

Overall, while some colleges have reported positive outcomes from selling beer at games, the effectiveness of this measure in reducing binge drinking is uncertain and may depend on a variety of factors specific to each college and its student population.

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