Fans can already buy beer and malt beverages. Now the University of Minnesota regents approved a plan to phase in liquor sales and in-seat “hawking” at U athletics venues.

By Steph Quinn

The Minnesota Star Tribune

July 10, 2024 at 9:21PM

University of Minnesota regents approved a plan to add cocktails to the alcoholic beverage options already available at U stadiums, including beer, wine and some malt beverages. (David Joles/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Parched fans can expect new alcoholic beverages to quench their thirst when the Gophers play their first game of the season in Huntington Bank Stadium on Aug. 29 — and won’t even have to leave their seat for a drink in future years.

Canned and batched cocktails will be available starting this fall at concession stands at the football stadium, as well as Williams Arena, Maturi Pavilion and 3M Arena at Mariucci, in the first phase of a plan approved unanimously by the University of Minnesota Board of Regents on Wednesday. Beer, wine and malt beverages are already available.

The 2025-26 athletic seasons will bring full-service bars to club rooms and limited bottle service to suites, according to the plan. The final phase of the plan will allow in-seat “hawking” of alcohol in the football stadium in 2026-27, except in student sections.

Athletics Director Mark Coyle and Jon Steadland, senior adviser to the university president, presented the plan to regents in June as a response to fan requests and a way to keep Gophers venues competitive with Big Ten and Twin Cities professional sporting facilities. The plan has the approval of the U’s Alcohol License Oversight Committee and Department of Public Safety, Steadland said Wednesday.

Coyle and Steadland agreed to provide a status report after the implementation of the first phase of the plan to allow the board to gauge potential adjustments. Regent Kodi Verhalen, who asked for the report, added that the plan had been “put together so thoughtfully in a phased approach.”

Regents approved the plan after reviewing financial projections, which Regent James Farnsworth requested at the board’s June meeting, and left open the possibility of requesting more status reports.

The U didn’t immediately provide existing annual alcohol sales, but the projections showed potential increased sales at men’s football, hockey and basketball games. For instance, the U expects the new alcohol policy would generate an additional $37,500 per football game at full implementation in 2026-27.