By Foster Nicholas | Editor-in-Chief
Although Baylor has successfully phased in alcohol sales at select concerts and non-university events at Foster Pavilion and McLane Stadium, the university is not considering extending alcohol sales to sporting events.
“It has not been a topic of conversation with our board,” President Linda Livingstone told The Lariat. “That would ultimately be a board decision to do that, and it has not come up with the board.”
At the beginning of the 2023 college football season, an Associated Press survey of Power 5 schools and Notre Dame found that 55 of 69 of them sold alcohol in public areas of the stadium during football games. After the Fighting Irish introduced adult beverage sales on Saturday, just three of the 69 schools remain dry: Baylor, Utah and BYU.
Baylor and Utah brought alcohol to campus at “concerts and select non-university events” this year. BYU remains the only school without any events where alcohol has been available.
“We’ve talked about a lot of ways to increase revenue at the institution that can help take pressure off of tuition for our students, and that’s certainly one that you can do,” Livingstone said. “But even in the context of that discussion, it has not been something that has risen to the level of a priority for us.”
Notre Dame, a private Catholic research university, announced the expansion of alcohol sales on April 11, 2025, reasoning that “this expansion will provide for a modern fan experience, consistent with other professional and collegiate stadiums and venues throughout the nation.”
“The university recognized that over the past several years, fan expectations have changed and evolved,” Notre Dame Vice President of University Operations, Events and Safety Mike Seamon said to the South Bend Tribune. “All stadiums are looking to improve the venue experience. It’s become an expected amenity when you’re going to a stadium.”
The decision came six years after the Southeastern Conference started the trend, allowing schools to sell booze in 2019. Before the SEC’s rule change, only 20 of the 69 Power 5 teams permitted alcoholic beverage sales at games.
Seamon also told the South Bend Tribune that “most stadiums have seen a reduction in drinking before the game” by introducing sales inside, resulting in a reduction of overconsumption at tailgate parties. Baylor lands in a different bucket, as the dry campus provides an alcohol and smoke-free environment in the student-organized tailgating area. Adult beverages are permitted in the Brazos Parking area, located across from the stadium.
Alcohol sales at football games haven’t been without problems across college football, though. In October 2024, the SEC fined the University of Texas and threatened to end alcohol sales at the university after fans threw cans onto the field during a game against the University of Georgia.
While the overconsumption of alcoholic beverages goes against Southern Baptist ideology, many schools see it as a way to increase the bottom line. Other private religious institutions in Texas adopted the practice, with SMU starting in 2014 and TCU doing so in 2019. As private universities, Baylor, SMU and TCU are not required to publish event-level concession sales.
Other public Power Four schools have consistently reported an average of at least $50,000 in revenue stemming from alcohol sales at each home football game. Early in 2022, Colorado led all now-Big 12 schools with an average of just over $290,000 in home sales per game; Texas Tech followed behind with an average of $232,995 in sales per game. The Associated Press reported North Carolina netted “about $4 million in sales” from alcohol during its first five years of selling alcohol at football games.
“Athletic departments typically are not profitable,” Adam Barry, a health behavior scientist at Texas A&M, told the Associated Press. “So selling alcohol has simply become a new revenue stream.”
According to Oddspedia, among all Big 12 schools, Arizona charged the highest price for adult beverages at football games in 2025, averaging $13.50 per item. Kansas ($7) and Kansas State ($8) averaged the lowest prices.
Baylor introduced alcoholic beverages during the sold-out The Boys of Oklahoma’s concert at McLane Stadium on Aug. 23, which Livingstone said “went extremely well.”
“We had a very good response to that and no real significant problems because of that, so we were really pleased with the way that went in our community for the first time,” Livingstone said.
The next event with access to alcohol is on Oct. 3, when comedian Jeff Dunham’s ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Tour arrives at Foster Pavilion. Full concert amenities, including beer and wine, will also be available when Tucker Wetmore takes the stage in concert at Foster Pavilion Oct. 23.
