ACC executive discusses risks and rewards of alcohol sales at on-campus venues

During his May 8 visit to Assistant Professor Young Do Kim’s Sport Finance class, Jeff Elliott walked through the potential benefits and risks of allowing alcohol sales at on-campus athletic venues. As executive associate commissioner and chief financial officer of the Atlantic Coast Conference, one of the country’s Power 5 conferences, Elliott provided an insider’s perspective of the topical subject.

​Just how timely was the classroom conversation? In April, the NCAA’s Division I Council formally announced it eliminated restrictions on alcohol sales at Division I championship events.

Elliott unpacked the matter for the Department of Sport Management class, highlighting the history of alcohol sales at sporting events, then delving into the current-day stakeholders, decision makers, and pros and cons of allowing alcohol sales – primarily beer sales – at on-campus events.

He also provided the ACC’s general perspective on alcohol at collegiate athletic contests. Elliott explained that the decision ultimately falls on individual schools, led by their respective board of trustees, presidents, athletic directors and faculty councils. Currently, five of the conference’s 15 institutions sell alcohol at athletic events: Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Syracuse and Wake Forest.

The ACC began allowing alcohol sales at games during the 2015-16 academic year.

As of 2017, 36 colleges sold alcohol at on-campus sites. More specifically, of the 671 NCAA college football teams in the U.S., only 7.45% sold alcohol at games last fall.

But Elliott expects the figures to increase as schools weigh the “untapped” potential of alcohol sales and advertising.

Despite the increased liability and security issues and insurance premiums, Elliott reasoned that some schools will chase the significant revenue created by alcohol sales. According to figures Elliott shared with the class, several colleges make upward of $200,000 on alcohol sales per home football game. The University of Texas at Austin pulls in the most per game, generating nearly $530,000 at each home contest.

Each individual school must balance the risks and rewards of on-campus alcohol sales, Elliott concluded. Whatever the decision, “you don’t want to damage the academic mission of the institution,” he said.

Elliott’s classroom visit was funded by Elon Substance Education and Julie Lellis, Faculty Fellow for Substance Education, was in attendance. Tony Weaver, chair of the Sport Management Department, was also on hand.