Beer taps at the College World Series on Saturday in Omaha "will be open to the general public for the first time," and the one-year trial could "lead to alcohol sales at more NCAA championship events," according to Eric Olson of the AP. NCAA Managing Dir of Championships & Alliances Ron Prettyman said that the NCAA's decision to allow beer and wine sales in all seating areas at TD Ameritrade Park "was made primarily in response to requests from fans and stadium officials and secondarily for the creation of a new revenue stream." Levy Restaurants spokesperson Kristi Andersen projects 400 alcoholic beverages "will be sold for every 1,000 fans." With beers selling for $6-7 and wine for $8-9, and "assuming attendance matches last year's average of 22,000 per game," some $1M in new revenue "would be generated if the CWS went the maximum 17 games." Andersen said that alcohol profits "would be divided among the NCAA and other CWS stakeholders according to a pre-determined formula." Alcohol has been sold in premium seating areas at the CWS since '13. The new waiver to the no-alcohol policy "covers a one-year pilot program that began" at this year's Women's CWS. Prettyman said that he heard of "no problems associated with sales at that event." Prettyman said that NCAA officials would review "whether to expand sales to future championship events." Prettyman: "Everybody is watching it very closely" (AP, 6/16). Prettyman said that NCAA officials at first were concerned "about the potential effects on the event." But they are "confident that the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority and its concessionaire will control alcohol sales appropriately." Andersen said that Levy's "experience in selling alcohol at the CenturyLink Center during concerts" and Creighton Univ. basketball games "will help" (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 6/16).
WORTH THE WAIT? In Omaha, Lee Barfknecht noted MECA President & CEO Roger Dixon "promised there won’t be issues with massive wait times at ticket windows or concession stands" during the CWS. Twice in the past three years with the Big Ten baseball tournament, the MECA "has been caught short." Dixon said that staffing calculation "was based on previous Big Ten baseball attendance averages." He said, "We’re not going to have an issue here" (OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, 6/16).
