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Mercedes-Benz Stadium to sell alcohol to general public at SEC Championship game

General view of the field before the NCAA football game between Georgia and Clemson at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

General view of the field before the NCAA football game between Georgia and Clemson at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, on Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Atlanta. (Jason Getz / AJC)
By Connor Riley
Nov 15, 2024

While who will play in the SEC Championship game is still to be determined, a big decision regarding the game has been made.

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the host venue for the SEC Championship game, will serve alcohol for the general public. Fox 5 was the first to report the news, which was announced by a stadium spokesperson.

Previously, alcohol was available only in premium seating areas. Per SEC guidelines, alcohol is limited to include only beer or wine.

This season is the first season that Georgia has sold alcohol to the general public inside Sanford Stadium. The SEC has allowed schools to sell alcohol to the general public since 2019. All 16 SEC schools now serve alcohol to the general public.

There have been issues this season with regard to fans throwing items on the field during games, as Texas and LSU have both been fined for fans throwing debris onto the field.

This year’s SEC Championship game will be played Dec. 7. Mercedes-Benz Stadium has hosted every SEC Championship game since the venue opened in 2017. Atlanta has hosted every SEC title game since 1994.

ExploreMore AJC coverage of the Bulldogs

About the Author

Connor Riley has been covering the University of Georgia since 2014 before moving to DawgNation full-time before the 2018 season. He helps in all areas of the site such as team coverage, recruiting, video production, social media and podcasting. He graduated from the University of Georgia in 2016.

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