4:30 PM UPDATE - I asked Rick Barnes about beer sales at the Baylor game Wednesday night and he said: "It's about the fan experience."
Beer will be sold at the Texas spring football game as well as the Texas Relays, source tells OB.
Privately, Texas officials are citing studies that show selling beer at an event curbs binge drinking before an event and even leads to less drinking during the event.
Barnes said he feels confident those who go through Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission training to sell beer will know when to stop serving someone.
"There will always be a debate about responsibility with alcohol," Barnes said. "You have to hope people will be responsible with it. But I just think we have to make the fan experience enjoyable for those who want to come and be a part of something exciting."
10 AM TUESDAY - According to a source close to the situation, beer sales at Texas athletics events will start this week - possibly tonight at the Erwin Center for the Texas women's basketball game against TCU (7:30 pm CT).
Going forward, beer sales will be available at Texas baseball and softball games as well as men's and women's basketball games, the source said.
The beer sales at UT sporting events this spring will serve as a "testing of the waters" for football. If all goes well, beer would be sold at Texas football games starting this fall, the source said.
It appears Texas initially thought about including Texas' baseball game Tuesday at 4:30 pm CT vs UT-Pan American, but we've gotten conflicting reports about if beer will be sold at the baseball game.
I was told by someone who works concessions at Disch-Falk that they have their "TABC card" to sell beer at games starting today. But the most recent word we received is that the debut of beer sales at UT athletic events will happen tonight at the women's hoops game - not baseball.
Two sources told OB Sodexo, who holds Texas' catering contract, made a large beer purchase from a local distributorship Monday with the intention of starting to sell beer at UT athletic events.
Another source said Patterson has been the driving force behind getting beer sales going at UT athletic events starting this week.
Apparently this is an AD and president's office issue - not a regents issue. Sodexo has always had the ability to sell beer at Texas events because they are permitted by the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission. So why now? Still trying to determine the timing of this development.
So it appears Texas was trying to tell us something when the school's ticket promotion for Wednesday night's basketball game against Baylor was: buy a $20 ticket and get 2 Texas pint glasses while supplies last ...
11:50 PM MONDAY - Dustin McComas and I worked sources all afternoon because we both heard beer sales could begin at Texas baseball games beginning on Tuesday, when the Longhorns face UT-Pan American at 4:30 pm CT.
But UT sources wouldn't confirm that.
Multiple sources, however, did confirm that athletic director Steve Patterson is determined to have beer sales at Texas baseball and basketball games as soon as possible while being less committal about when beer sales might happen at Texas football games.
Patterson's spokesman, Nick Voinis, did not respond to repeated requests by OB for comment on Monday.
We will continue to pursue this story during business hours on Tuesday. And we'll all have the answer when gates open at Disch-Falk on Tuesday afternoon for the Longhorns' game vs UT-Pan Am.
p>
This post was edited on 2/25 8:47 PM by ChipBrown
Beer will be sold at the Texas spring football game as well as the Texas Relays, source tells OB.
Privately, Texas officials are citing studies that show selling beer at an event curbs binge drinking before an event and even leads to less drinking during the event.
Barnes said he feels confident those who go through Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission training to sell beer will know when to stop serving someone.
"There will always be a debate about responsibility with alcohol," Barnes said. "You have to hope people will be responsible with it. But I just think we have to make the fan experience enjoyable for those who want to come and be a part of something exciting."
10 AM TUESDAY - According to a source close to the situation, beer sales at Texas athletics events will start this week - possibly tonight at the Erwin Center for the Texas women's basketball game against TCU (7:30 pm CT).
Going forward, beer sales will be available at Texas baseball and softball games as well as men's and women's basketball games, the source said.
The beer sales at UT sporting events this spring will serve as a "testing of the waters" for football. If all goes well, beer would be sold at Texas football games starting this fall, the source said.
It appears Texas initially thought about including Texas' baseball game Tuesday at 4:30 pm CT vs UT-Pan American, but we've gotten conflicting reports about if beer will be sold at the baseball game.
I was told by someone who works concessions at Disch-Falk that they have their "TABC card" to sell beer at games starting today. But the most recent word we received is that the debut of beer sales at UT athletic events will happen tonight at the women's hoops game - not baseball.
Two sources told OB Sodexo, who holds Texas' catering contract, made a large beer purchase from a local distributorship Monday with the intention of starting to sell beer at UT athletic events.
Another source said Patterson has been the driving force behind getting beer sales going at UT athletic events starting this week.
Apparently this is an AD and president's office issue - not a regents issue. Sodexo has always had the ability to sell beer at Texas events because they are permitted by the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission. So why now? Still trying to determine the timing of this development.
So it appears Texas was trying to tell us something when the school's ticket promotion for Wednesday night's basketball game against Baylor was: buy a $20 ticket and get 2 Texas pint glasses while supplies last ...
11:50 PM MONDAY - Dustin McComas and I worked sources all afternoon because we both heard beer sales could begin at Texas baseball games beginning on Tuesday, when the Longhorns face UT-Pan American at 4:30 pm CT.
But UT sources wouldn't confirm that.
Multiple sources, however, did confirm that athletic director Steve Patterson is determined to have beer sales at Texas baseball and basketball games as soon as possible while being less committal about when beer sales might happen at Texas football games.
Patterson's spokesman, Nick Voinis, did not respond to repeated requests by OB for comment on Monday.
We will continue to pursue this story during business hours on Tuesday. And we'll all have the answer when gates open at Disch-Falk on Tuesday afternoon for the Longhorns' game vs UT-Pan Am.
p>
This post was edited on 2/25 8:47 PM by ChipBrown
