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Big Red Business: Moving the ball forward on alcohol sales at Nebraska

Bring on the booze.

That message was delivered loud and clear by the majority of Nebraska football fans who responded to an athletic department survey on how to enhance game days at Memorial Stadium.

The survey, which was conducted in January and released Tuesday, generated nearly 22,000 responses from season ticket holders, donors, students, and other fans from all walks and communities from around the country.

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A substantial part of the survey dealt with whether to start selling alcohol at Memorial Stadium and other Cornhusker sports venues, a step a growing number of schools have undertaken in recent years to raise revenue and appeal to a younger segment of the fan base.

“I don’t think alcohol sales in Memorial Stadium would create fan issues because most people are already drinking before, during, and after the games anyway,” one respondent said. Another fan said alcohol sales “are a no-brainer. As a recent grad most people I know leave the game at halftime to drink and often don’t return unless it’s a good game.”

Said another fan: “I understand selling alcohol is controversial but believe it would enhance the overall experience of gameday.”

Passionate comments from these survey respondents have pushed the controversial debate one big step closer to a decision although the university administration has already said no beer will be sold at Memorial Stadium in 2022.

In what could be interpreted as test runs, the athletic department sought and received approval from the Board of Regents to sell beer at the Big Ten wrestling championships hosted last weekend by Nebraska at Pinnacle Bank Arena. Last summer, beer flowed at the Garth Brooks concert at Memorial Stadium.

According to the survey, 58 percent of the respondents said they had a positive or somewhat positive attitude toward the sale of alcohol at Memorial Stadium. Fourteen percent were neutral on the issue, while 28 percent were negative or somewhat negative.

“I believe that the sale of alcohol in the stadium will be attractive to some,” one respondent said. “But I believe it will detract from the gameday experience for many and potentially cause confrontations and other related issues.”

Another fan said, “people have enough to drink tailgating.” And said this respondent, “I know it will make the university some money, but it will absolutely ruin the game day experience.”

Other results from the survey on alcohol attitudes:

*35 percent of respondents favored alcohol-free seating sections.

*80 percent said the elimination of the stadium re-entry policy would have no impact on their attendance at home games.

*65 percent said the alcohol sales would have no impact on attending games, including 22 percent who said they’d attend more.Only 10 percent would attend less.

“As it relates to alcohol, I think Husker fans are pretty observant,” said Jim Rose, an Omaha marketing executive and former football play-by-play announcer who was asked to comment for this story. “ They know that on gamedays, about the only place you CAN'T get a drink is in the stadium.”

“Tailgating is fun,” he said, “and fans enjoy socializing before and after the games. So, serving in the stadium doesn't represent much change. Husker fans have also demonstrated an intolerance for those who are abusive at the games. So anybody who has had too much and acts like it won't be around long.”

Mike Osborne, owner of the Best of Big Red retail stores and son of Hall of Fame coach Tom Osborne, offered a different take. His statement is here, in its entirety.

“I personally believe Nebraska is special because we don’t do whatever is popular, tempting, or profitable,” Osborne said. “Instead our history is that we do what is right. We generally treat opposing teams and fans well, we support our team no matter what, and we care about our children and the most vulnerable.”

For years, he noted, kids were invited down to the field to take the drug (and alcohol) free pledge at half-time of the spring game. “ We had coaches and leaders who modeled for kids, in action and in speech, the good values we as a state have held high,” Osborne said.

“I worry that our kids will be watching adults buying and consuming alcohol in a place we have long held as special and unique and devoted to showing the best of what our state is about. I think there is plenty of alcohol available at the tailgates and most determined fans can figure out a way to sneak in a few sips if they feel it is necessary. I respectfully disagree with those who said the Garth Brooks concert showed that alcohol should be sold at games. It was a like-minded crowd of fans all support."
— Mike Osborne, son of legendary coach Tom Osborne

“I worry that our kids will be watching adults buying and consuming alcohol in a place we have long held as special and unique and devoted to showing the best of what our state is about. I think there is plenty of alcohol available at the tailgates and most determined fans can figure out a way to sneak in a few sips if they feel it is necessary. I respectfully disagree with those who said the Garth Brooks concert showed that alcohol should be sold at games. It was a like-minded crowd of fans all supporting Garth, and it was mostly adults.

“Football games will have opposing fans, Big Ten refs making horrible calls, and plenty of children to watch adults react to those two elements. In the 1970’s I sat in the stands as a young kid occasionally angered by the disparaging remarks made toward my dad by frustrated fans around me. I can only imagine what those remarks might have been, and how much more colorful they may have been, had they not been soberly issued.”

He concluded, “as a believer in the free market, if alcohol is what everyone wants, then that is what will happen - and I’ll hope my concerns are ill-founded.”

Warhorse Casino in Lincoln is set to be open in the coming years, but Husker fans said on the survey they aren't quite ready for gambling inside Memorial Stadium.
Warhorse Casino in Lincoln is set to be open in the coming years, but Husker fans said on the survey they aren't quite ready for gambling inside Memorial Stadium.

The gambling question 

Should legalized sports gambling be allowed at Memorial Stadium? Not yet, according to the survey.

Only 31 percent were very positive or somewhat positive about that experience, while 27 percent were very negative and 13 percent somewhat negative.

“The only explanation I can pin on the gambling question stems from a concern that gambling on the Huskers right there in the stadium brings it a little too close to the players, coaches and officials,” Rose said. “Though casinos and parimutuel betting have a long history with Nebraskans, game rooms do not. But as they become more commonplace, I don't think fans attending for the fun of it will notice.”

Seat equity and new seating arrangements 

The survey addressed whether it was equitable for some fans to pay less for seats in certain parts of Memorial Stadium than the person sitting next to them, or whether everyone should cough up the same money for the same seats.

Nearly 50 percent of the respondents said they favored seat equity policies, while 27 percent fell into the negative range, and 25 percent had no opinion.

In addition, a vast majority of fans expressed interest in reconfigured seating in the end zones, including club seats and other amenities.

”I would be interested in club level seats due to the climate-controlled environment on very cold games,” one respondent said. Another said new seating options “would bring some much-needed variety and newness to Memorial Stadium.”

The 4th quarter light show was one of the most popular things fans liked about the game day experience.
The 4th quarter light show was one of the most popular things fans liked about the game day experience. (Nebraska State Patrol)

The voice from the stands 

The survey gauged fan attitudes toward everything from the Cornhusker Marching Band to the quality of concessions and restrooms.

Among the bullet points:

*The most important game day elements: 38 percent cited seat comfort, followed by sightlines to the field (17 percent), and seat location (14 percent).

*Game day satisfaction: The end of the third quarter light show topped the list, followed by pre-game flyovers by military aircraft, military recognitions, the tunnel walk, and the marching band.

*Reasons for not attending: Fans cited overall cost, seat comfort, travel distance to Lincoln, team performance, and a preference to watch on television.

Based on the survey, about 79 percent of fans traveled from within about 150 miles on game day. That encompassed an area of roughly Kansas City and Topeka to the south, near Sioux City to the north, Des Moines to the east, and just west of Kearney.

*Areas that more than meet expectations: The quality of the sound system, the availability of covered seating, scoreboards, and video boards.

*Food and beverage enhancements: More local chains topped the list at 42 percent, while 22 percent favored more national chains. Burgers and BBQ were among the menu requests.

*Elements of Memorial Stadium that could be enhanced: 77 percent cited seat comfort, followed by Wifi connection, the time it takes to exit the stadium, and the quality of restrooms and concourse circulation.

“I don’t think anyone is surprised to see that seat comfort is the most important gameday element, and is simultaneously by far the most cited element as needing improvement,” said Osborne.

“I think the current seating was likely established in the 1930’s or earlier and people were shorter and weighed less back then,” he said. “While we as a people have expanded in all directions, the seats themselves have remained suited to people of nearly 100 years ago. It shouldn’t be too difficult to adjust seating space laterally, the vertical part will require imagination as that part is literally set in cement.

What's next for Nebraska AD Trev Alberts?
What's next for Nebraska AD Trev Alberts? (Getty Images)

The next step?

With the survey completed, what’s next? How will the information be used? What steps will be taken to prepare Memorial Stadium, which opened nearly 100 years ago, for the next 100 years?

Athletic director Trev Alberts did not comment, other than to publicly thank fans for their input on the survey.

However, Osborne offered this comment: “The survey seems to confirm what we all know. Our gameday atmosphere and fan base is second to none and we are so lucky to have such great fans.”

“When we were 0-6 in 2018 I went to the stadium and shot a video noting how you could not tell just by looking at the crowd and the noise that we weren’t 6-0. And same with this last year with close loss after close loss. The fans stayed in full force all the way to the final play of the Iowa game - it is truly amazing and won’t be seen anywhere else under such circumstances. I hope recruits can see that and can imagine what it will be like when we're back on top, which may happen very soon.”

The full survey can be found here: https://huskers.com/news/2022/3/8/football-nebraska-releases-memorial-stadium-survey-results.aspx.

Steve Rosen covers the business of sports for HuskerOnline. Send questions, comments, story ideas to Rosen at sbrosen1030@gmail.com.

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