WSU submitted a request to serve beer and wine in Martin Stadium this upcoming football season. WSU has been looking to expand beer sales in the stadium since 2016.
Starting in 2023, spectators could enjoy beer in their seats at Beasley Coliseum. Neighboring programs, including the University of Washington, have already offered stadium-wide sales for several years. Opening up beer and alcohol sales to the rest of the stadium, except the student section, could see an increase in fan experiences.
WSU sent in a request for beer and wine sales in the seating area of Martin Stadium to the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board, not including the student section. The Washington LCB will review the request in September.
According to Brian Smith, a WSU graduate and spokesman for the Washington LCB, the control board staff is looking at the material and will present it in front of the three-member board in September. Two “yes” votes are required for board approval.
WSU issued a statement on Aug. 25 regarding alcohol sales.
“A request has been submitted to the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board for a one-year pilot program to allow beer and wine sales in general seating during football games at GESA Field, excluding the student section,” WSU Athletics said. “The request is currently under review and WSU respects the authority and the due process these actions require. The safety of our fans, student-athletes and community is a top priority.”
Stadium-wide alcohol sales can point to the risks of over-intoxication, rowdy behavior and the need for additional security staffing, which could increase costs. This could be a problem for WSU in getting the request passed.
According to a survey on ESPN by The Associated Press of Power 5 conference schools and Notre Dame, 55 of 69 surveyed schools now sell alcohol in the public areas of their stadiums on game days. WSU adding beer and wine sales could see an increase in revenue, not just from beer sales, but ticket sales too.
WSU selling beer could also see fan retention, which has been a huge problem for WSU games. Chad and Carrie Nordberg, WSU alumni who graduated in 1996 and are season ticket holders, noted WSU did not have beer sales in the past.
“We think it’s a huge financial loss for the school and [we are] not sure why other universities like UW and Boise State can do it but we can’t,” they said. “There’s a lot of people that leave the stadium at halftime to go back to the tailgates or to the Cougar Town fan experience to get alcohol and miss the halftime show. Also, fans tend to leave the game early for the same reason.”
The only place fans can buy alcohol inside Martin Stadium is on the club and suite levels. These seats cost about $300 a seat and fans are currently unable to take their alcoholic beverages to their seats.
“One small reason we purchased club seats was so we could enjoy a beverage during the game,” Nordberg said. “What we noticed was that fans in the club seats tended to stay the entire game because they didn’t have to leave to get a drink. We don’t know if it will necessarily improve ticket sales, but it will improve the fan experience and should generate a lot more income for the university.”
Having fans stay in their seats and not leave at halftime could bring that home advantage for the football team.
“I would guess that the team will benefit from more fans staying in the stadium longer, and not leaving early anymore,” Chad Nordberg said.
Licensing staff will present the pilot project to the board, which will determine if there will be beer sales in general admission. This means there should not be beer sales in WSU’s first game against Idaho.
The proposal was sent as a one-year pilot program, meaning the Washington Liquor and Cannabis Board will evaluate the results of this season before deciding on long-term approval. That makes this fall an important test for WSU. If fans embrace it, then it could become a permanent part of Cougar football Saturdays.
