NC State coach on potential in-game alcohol sales: 'We have one of the best gamedays in the first and second quarter'
NC State coach Dave Doeren wants his team’s fans to stay for the entire game. And it’s pretty clear that he hopes in-stadium alcohol sales will help with that.
North Carolina collegiate programs are currently banned by state law from selling alcohol at sporting events. But that could change soon with the passage of House Bill 389, a bill that, if turned into law, would allow schools to decide their own alcohol sporting-event fate.
The ACC also has a rule that allows fans to leave at halftime and come back into the stadium. Couple that pass-out rule with a lack of alcohol sales, and it’s easy to see why many NC State fans head to their cars or tailgates at halftime for some, uh, refreshment and don’t make it back for the start of the third quarter.
Doeren has clearly noticed.
It certainly sounds like Dave Doeren wants this bill to pass that will allow alcohol at UNC system sporting events. @wralsportsfan pic.twitter.com/Eap51s0waZ
— Jason Jennings (@_jasonjennings) June 18, 2019
“It gives them the option to not leave,” Doeren said of alcohol sales. “If that’s why they’re going out in the parking lot they’ll have that option not to. With it being a 15-minute halftime, save their legs a little bit, let them relax and watch some of the halftime stuff on the TVs. Obviously generates revenue for the university and the program as well. Everyone is in favor of that. But we have one of the best gamedays in the country in the first and second quarter. It would be awesome to keep it that way in the third.”
That’s a little bit of shade. Though you can certainly understand Doeren’s frustration, especially after his program has won nine games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 1991 and 1992.
If the bill is passed into law soon, alcohol could be available at North Carolina schools’ games in 2019.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports
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