IU police reported 40 alcohol-related incidents, down from an average of 59 over the past three yearsGETTY MAGES
Indiana Univ.'s first foray into serving beer and wine at Memorial Stadium "produced just over $470,000 in sales" during the '19 football season, according to Jon Blau of the Bloomington HERALD-TIMES. About $180,000 of that money "stays within the athletic department, while another $20,000 will be shared with IU's Dean of Students Office in support of substance use prevention programs on campus." The roughly $200,000 that IU brought in "exceeds the $171,000 projection offered by the Wasserman consulting firm when beer and wine sales were first considered." IU police "reported 40 alcohol-related incidents during this season's six home games." There were an "average of 59 alcohol-related incidents in each of the last three years." In the grand scheme, $180,000 is a "drop in the bucket" for a department that brought in nearly $123M in revenue during FY '18. But it was an "added amenity for fans, as well as a way to try and curb alcohol-related incidents in and around the stadium." Memorial Stadium also saw a "slight bump in attendance" this season. IU averaged 41,244 attendees during its six home football games, an increase from last season's 40,965 figure (Bloomington HERALD-TIMES, 12/4).
