No
Alcohol Decision to Put U in Deficit
Gophers athletic director
Joel Maturi
told Sports Headliners that the decision not to serve alcohol in
premium seating areas at TCF Bank Stadium, Williams Arena and Mariucci
Arena will cost the athletic department at least $1 million for the
2009-2010 budget year. “Without a question it will put us in the red,”
he said.
The department has been operating in the
black and was expecting to do so for the coming fiscal year but the no
alcohol situation has changed all that. Maturi said University
leadership outside of the athletic department is trying to help solve
the problem.
A letter was sent to premium seating
purchasers last week regarding options
on their financial commitments. The Gophers have been serving alcohol
in premium seating areas at Williams and Mariucci arenas, and had been
enticing suite, club and loge buyers in the new TCF Stadium that opens
in September with the benefit of having alcoholic beverages (not
available to the general public in the three facilities). Legislation
passed by the state this spring required that alcohol be made
available to everyone in the facilities, or no one.
Maturi said the letter describes reduced
pricing options. He also said the $1 million in projected losses is
based on the assumption “nobody walks away,” meaning the choice isn’t to
discontinue being a premium seating purchaser.
The University’s decision to make TCF Bank
and its other facilities “dry” is all about commitment to the students,
according to school leaders. “There’s a reason that almost nobody sells
alcohol on campuses,” Maturi said. “There’s a responsibility to teach
and lead by example.”
Maturi said Syracuse and Cincinnati are
the only schools he knows of that sell alcohol to the general public
(including students of drinking age) at their campus stadiums. He
also said the University doesn’t assume that its alcohol ban in athletic
facilities will lessen drinking on campus but that doesn’t change the
commitment to teach, educate and lead by example. The policy is
consistent with past decisions by the University not to advertise
alcohol in its programs, arena signage and radio broadcasts.
Eight other Big Ten Conference schools, or
over 70 percent, allow alcohol in premium seating areas. Maturi guesses
the percentage is even higher in other major conferences throughout the
country.
He
said the Minnesota legislature is
the only legislative body in the country to enact law requiring that if
alcohol is going to be served in school athletic facilities it must be
made available to all. The decision has left Maturi disappointed and
frustrated.
Among the reasons he’s upset is that five
years ago when football stadium planning was beginning legislators
knew about the University’s intent to provide alcohol in premium seating
areas only. “This is old news,” he said.
The timing of legislation being passed and
signed by governor Tim Pawlenty within months of the stadium
opening left the athletic department in an embarrassing situation with
its premium purchasers. Still, President Bob Bruininks and the
Board of Regents did comply with the decision rather than resist.
Now, Maturi said there’s talk about future
legislation requiring the Gophers to sell alcohol to the public. If the legislature
further forces the issue, it’s more than a decent bet there will be
plenty of push back by the University.
