Fans over the age of 21 will have the opportunity to purchase beer and wine when UNC opens its home football season in Kenan Stadium next month.
The university announced on Monday that “operational details are still being finalized with priorities on safety, control and training,” but that beer and wine will be available at 20 concessions locations in Kenan Stadium.
North Carolina lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year that Governor Roy Cooper signed into law in June allowing schools in the UNC System to sell alcohol at events on campus, if the university’s Board of Trustees approved the policy. The UNC – Chapel Hill board preemptively approved the sale of alcohol at stadiums on campus in April and the administration has since been working on an implementation plan.
Monday’s announcement from Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham said that proceeds generated by alcohol sales will go to the university “to benefit the Carolina Covenant, the Faculty Excellence Program and an alcohol education program in coordination with the Office of Student Affairs.”
Cunningham said that alcohol will not be allowed in the student section, “and we will closely monitor sales and the impact on our gameday atmosphere.”
Beer and wine sales will begin 90 minutes prior to kickoff when UNC hosts Miami on September 7 and will conclude at the beginning of the third quarter.
Alcohol sales at college sporting events have been growing in popularity across the country, including at ACC and NCAA Tournaments. UNC officials earlier this year pointed to other universities who have seen a decline in high-risk drinking when allowing sales during athletics events on campus, particularly with football.
“We are still considering whether alcohol will be served at other Carolina sporting events and venues this year,” Cunningham said Monday.
No information was available regarding the types of beer and wine that will be sold in Kenan Stadium this fall.
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