by Scott McClallen
A bipartisan plan in Lansing seeks to allow Michigan universities to sell alcohol at certain on-campus sporting events.
Rep. Graham Filler, R-Clinton County, and Sen. Sean McCann, D-Kalamazoo, introduced measures in the House and Senate that would allow university governing boards to apply for liquor licenses to sell alcohol at basketball, football, and hockey games.
“Giving universities the option to serve alcohol at their sporting events is about freedom, fairness, and recognizing that the responsible consumption of alcohol inside the stadium is much safer than the binge drinking that goes on in the parking lot,” Filler said in a statement. “Multiple examples exist that show alcohol-related incidents inside stadiums declining after alcohol sales are allowed.”
Of the 14 schools in the Big Ten, eight allow alcohol sales at football games and most have seen positive results with decreases in the number of alcohol-related incidents. After Ohio State started selling alcohol stadium-wide in 2016, university police reported a 65% drop in alcohol-related incidents inside its sports venues.
“These bills will help create parity and fairness with other states that currently allow alcohol to be served to patrons in college sporting venues,” McCann said in a statement. “There is no good reason for this option to be available only for people watching the games in suites and no one else. Furthermore, there is strong evidence that points to these policies helping to reduce binge drinking on game days.”
House Bill 4328 and Senate Bill 247 aim to allow the Michigan Liquor Control Commission to issue up to three tavern licenses or three Class C liquor licenses to be used for events within the public areas of university football, basketball, and hockey stadiums. Sales would be permitted one hour before each game.
The measures were referred to the House and Senate Regulatory Reform committees for consideration.
Filler led a similar effort in 2022, but the plan wasn’t voted on before the end of the legislative term.
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Scott McClallen is a staff writer covering Michigan and Minnesota for The Center Square. A graduate of Hillsdale College, his work has appeared on Forbes.com and FEE.org. Previously, he worked as a financial analyst at Pepsi.
Photo “University of Michigan Football Game” by Ken Lund. CC BY-SA 2.0.
