College athletic programs are increasingly selling alcohol in their stadiums, a trend that began about a decade ago. According to an Associated Press survey, 80% of schools in the five major college athletic conferences serve alcohol in public areas of their stadiums.
Ole Smoky Distillery is now the “exclusive moonshine of the Vols” at the University of Tennessee, while Rutgers is pairing with Eric LeGrand’s namesake bourbon. Notre Dame and Ohio State have marketing relationships with whiskey makers, including Teeling Whiskey.
The move to sell alcohol in stadiums is driven by the need for revenue as colleges spend millions on coaching salaries and facilities. A class-action lawsuit against the NCAA could lead to schools paying out players through revenue sharing as early as next year.
Despite this, college athletes are still barred from accepting deals with brands in certain categories, including gambling and alcohol. However, many programs have found ways to work around these restrictions by promoting their sponsors on campus or off.
The trend is expected to continue, with more schools looking for new ways to make money. As one expert noted, “Anything that is new that has never been done before, people are batting around these ideas.”
Source: https://gvwire.com/2024/12/26/your-college-football-team-now-brought-to-you-by-whiskey