The issue of selling alcohol at college football games was examined on ESPN's "OTL," as Darren Rovell said "more than 30 schools are selling alcohol in stadiums this season and the number keeps growing." Some schools "aren't willing to take the risk," with the SEC prohibiting alcohol sales and advertising on a conference level. But at West Virginia, where alcohol sales are permitted, WVU Police Chief Bob Roberts said the school "controls the beer" and has a vendor "who knows that if someone comes up who's overly intoxicated they won’t sell" alcohol to them. Roberts: "We control when it's shut off, so it works." Rovell said the decision by each university on whether to sell alcohol "depends on the people" in charge and also "on the dollars and cents." College towns have been "a little bit more insulated from competition," because in many instances, football games are the "only thing on a Saturday or a Saturday night." But now, schools are "competing with the HD experience" and cheaper beer at home, and "if they could have beer or alcohol or wine at the game, then maybe that gives the edge back to the stadium experience." Troy AD John Hartwell said his school introduced alcohol sales to enhance the gameday experience "first and foremost, then revenue generation." Hartwell added the school could earn $100,000-150,000 in beer sales revenue, "which is not huge in terms of dollars, but it means a whole lot more" to a school like Troy with a $20M athletic department budget "than it does maybe to an Auburn" with a $100M budget ("OTL," ESPN2, 10/12).
