After Univ. of Minnesota football fans “enjoyed their first season of legal beer at TCF Bank Stadium, some legislators wonder whether it’s time to open the taps" for the school's hockey and basketball fans, according to Jennifer Brooks of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. State Rep. Dan Schoen “figures that if sales at one venue are good, expanding beer sales beyond the suites and premium seats at Mariucci and Williams arenas could be even better.” Schoen: “Beer for all worked pretty well at the Bank. I think beer for all could work pretty well at the rest of the stadiums, too.” UM Assistant Dir of Government Relations Todd Iverson said that the school “would like to wait to study how alcohol affects the games at the stadium before expanding to other venues.” Iverson: “This isn’t saying we’re opposed to the bill, but we have concerns about it being implemented this year.” Iverson said that the hockey and basketball arenas "present challenges.” He added that factors which "might make the university more reluctant to bring alcohol into the postgame mix" are a greater number of games for hockey and basketball, including many played at night. Iverson said that beer sales “have been brisk at the stadium … with an estimated $990,000 in sales in the first season alone.” However, he said that “only about $16,000 in profits ended up in the university’s pocket” (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 3/6).
