July 26, 2018

UA to Offer Beer and Wine at Football Games

TUCSON, Ariz. — In an ongoing effort to enhance the fan experience and at the request of fans, the University of Arizona is extending beer and wine sales to the general public in Arizona Stadium.

The UA will offer beer and wine sales to all patrons of legal drinking age starting with the Arizona Wildcats opening football game against Brigham Young University on Sept. 1. The UA was granted an extension of premises for its existing license by the Arizona Department of Liquor Licenses and Control on July 24, following inspections by three City of Tucson agencies.

Beer and wine are currently available to people with private club or box seats at football games and to the general public at baseball games at Hi Corbett Field. The UA also has a permit to sell beer and wine at McKale Memorial Center.

Beer and wine sales are the latest in a series of enhancements Arizona Athletics and the university have made to improve the fan experience, including expanding performances by the Pride of Arizona Marching Band, adding local food vendors and reducing ticket prices for certain sections. Other efforts involve introducing new seating in the ZonaZoo student sections on the stadium’s east side, and several new restroom and concession areas on the lower south side.

The UA will contract with a professional, licensed concessionaire experienced in selling and serving alcohol in a highly regulated and controlled environment. There will be a limited number of concession stands with alcohol sales, which will begin 90 minutes before kickoff and conclude before the end of the third quarter.

Currently, more than three dozen college football stadiums – up from seven in 2007 – sell beer, including the PAC-12's Arizona State University, Oregon State University and Washington State University.