The University of Florida has announced it will begin selling beer and wine in the premium seating areas at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and the O’Connell Center.
Alcohol sales in the Swamp will begin in the 2016 season and will be limited to fans in the Holloway Touchdown Terrace and Evans Champions Club. Beer and wine sales will end at the start of the third quarter of football games.
Alcohol sales in the O’Connell Center will begin once a $64.5 million renovation is completed in December and will be limited to fans in the premium seating lounge areas. Beer and wine sales will end at the start of the second half of basketball games.
Fans purchasing alcohol in the premium areas must consume their drinks in the lounge and cannot take any alcohol to the general-seating area. The SEC doesn’t allow alcohol to be sold to the general public.
According to the wine and beer website Vinepair, as of the 2015 season, 34 stadiums that host college football allowed the sale of alcohol during games.
Florida would make it 35 and the sixth Southeastern Conference school to sell alcohol at football games and the fourth SEC school to sell alcohol at basketball games.
The University of Georgia does not sell alcohol at its games.
“Providing alcohol in our premium seating areas for both football and men’s basketball was another amenity we wanted to provide to the fans in those areas,” Florida athletic director Jeremy Foley said in the press release.
