Boston College will "expand the sale of beer and wine during football games this season," according to Julian Benbow of the BOSTON GLOBE. Once limited to suites and a tent next to Alumni Stadium, alcohol will "now be available at concession stands throughout the venue as part of a pilot program." New BC AD Martin Jarmond said, "One of my focuses when I took the job was to really engage with our fans in a way that we hadn't before in hopes to improve the fan experience and the game-day experience." Benbow noted prior to coming to BC, Jarmond was part of Ohio State's decision to "expand its alcohol sales last year." From his experience at OSU, Jarmond "believed the idea also would work at BC." Jarmond: "We're in a town where all the professional teams sell beer and wine. So these are some of our same fans that have that opportunities at other venues right here in town. So first and foremost it's consistent with our fan base as far as what they're able to do elsewhere." Benbow noted BC will join "more than 40 colleges across the country that offer alcohol at athletic venues." Jarmond said that BC "reached out to nearly all of them as they gathered information about implementation and safety" (BOSTON GLOBE, 8/19).
PARKING PASS: In Boston, Rich Thompson noted while beer and wine will now be sold, there is "less of something else fans tend to enjoy -- parking spots for tailgating." There will be "fewer parking spots for tailgating on Shea Field, with BC constructing a new indoor practice facility there." Jarmond "anticipates an overriding concern for fans will be game-day parking, a thorny issue that's grown more problematic by recent construction around Alumni Stadium." The school is "searching for solutions." Jarmond: "If you ask me about this after a few games I'll be able to give you a better answer." Thompson noted BC "hasn’t finalized a policy yet for when the school will cut off beer and wine sales." About a third of the major college programs offer beer and wine, with many "ending sales in the third quarter" (BOSTON HERALD, 8/19).
