Alabama will once again consider selling alcohol at its athletic events.
The University of Alabama announced Wednesday it had worked out a deal with the city of Tuscaloosa to lift a proposed service fee on tickets where alcohol was to be sold. In a statement shared with BamaOnLine, athletic director Greg Byrne said UA will revisit its plan.
“We appreciate our partnerships, especially with the City, and the efforts of all the public safety personnel and first responders who work in and around our venues,” Byrne said in a statement. “With the recent expanded collaboration between The University of Alabama and City of Tuscaloosa, we will continue our due diligence and revisit the opportunity for alcohol sales at select athletics events with our University leadership.”
In 2019, the Southeastern Conference revised its policy pertaining to alcohol, allowing it to be sold at events, and in January, Alabama’s concessions company, Levy Premium Foodservice KP, submitted an application to the city for a liquor license to sell beer and wine at men’s and women’s basketball games and gymnastics meets held inside of Coleman Coliseum.
Tuscaloosa’s city council voted to approve the license back in February, only with a service fee for events of at least 1,000 people where alcohol is sold. Events with a capacity between 1,000 and 19,999 – Coleman Coliseum holds 15,316 – included a $1 fee per ticket, events between 20,000 and 49,999 included a $2 fee and all events above 50,000 included a $3 fee.
Tuscaloosa chief financial officer Carly Standridge claimed the revenue from the service fee “will be spent on supporting public safety operations,” according to The Tuscaloosa News.
Byrne said his department was “unreasonably” targeted by the city with a fee on all tickets sold for events where alcohol was sold, including tickets for children, and paused the plan.
On Wednesday, however, the two sides reached a compromise.
According to a press release, the university will provide specialty service funding to cover the enhanced fire and rescue, police, transportation and infrastructure services needed for sporting events and will introduce a new scholarship program for Tuscaloosa police officers and firefighters. The two measures will replace the service fee that caused the initial rift.
“We can’t express enough how much we appreciate and value the many public safety, fire and rescue, transportation, and other staff who help keep our communities safe and running smoothly,” said UA president Stuart Bell in a release. “This agreement underscores the important roles they play and how the University values their roles.”
Added Tuscaloosa mayor Walt Maddox, “The University of Alabama is not only our region’s largest employer and economic driver, they are partners when it comes to ensuring that Tuscaloosa is safe. I sincerely appreciate Dr. Bell’s thoughtful approach over the last few months as we worked together to provide more for our City’s police officers, firefighters and paramedics.
“The incredible growth of UA is phenomenal for our community, and this agreement will ensure that we continue to offer the best and safest experiences in the nation.”
Did you know that BOL has a podcast? The BamaOnLine Podcast brings you the latest Alabama news and insight from Travis Reier, Charlie Potter, Hank South and Tim Watts. Catch the latest episode right here or subscribe on iTunes today!
Contact Charlie Potter by personal message or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).
