UW-Madison’s Camp Randall Stadium will sell alcohol in general seating areas for the first time this season

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- For the first time, Wisconsin Athletics will begin selling alcoholic beverages in the general seating areas at Camp Randall Stadium.

Jason King, Wisconsin's senior associate athletic director, said purchasing alcohol was something fans had communicated they wanted inside the stadium for years.

"We wanted to make sure that we got it right," King said. "The college landscape has changed over the years."

The University of Wisconsin–Madison will become the 16th school of the 18 in the Big Ten to sell alcohol in its football stadium’s general seating area.

King said the athletic department saw a lot of success with allowing alcohol for hockey and basketball games at the Kohl Center and LaBahn Arena, where sales were allowed for the first time last year. He said the positive response from fans and their experience purchasing items at the games could also make the environment safer for alumni and students. 

"We did a lot of research," King said. "What we found is that selling alcohol in venues can be a detracting from binge drinking and things like that.”

Sales will also begin at the UW Field House, home to the Badger women’s volleyball and men’s wrestling teams.

Overall, fans throughout Wisconsin seem excited about the decision.

“If everyone’s a little more juiced up inside the stadium, depending on what the score is, whether good or bad, why not? It can only help," said Marck Greenblatt, a Michigan fan in town from Ohio, touring the university with his son, Spencer Greenblatt. 

“It’s big for the school," Greenblatt said. "It’s going to make this place louder, definitely.”

Those Michigan fans said schools in their state also recently began selling alcohol products inside the general seating areas at their stadiums. King said Wisconsin Athletics consulted with large universities across the Big Ten and professional teams in Wisconsin to come to a decision to sell.  

“It’s my understanding that the Michigan schools are adding alcohol this year," said King. "We know that the Packers and the Bucks and the Brewers have been able to be successful doing it, so we’ve taken tips from them.”

King said the University of Wisconsin Police Department will provide increased on-site presence, and fans will continue to have access to a text line to report any problems they may encounter.

Additionally, ID policy at Camp Randall and the Field House will mirror that at the Kohl Center and LaBahn: anyone who appears under the age of 40 will need to show ID, which will be verified by an electronic scanner.

As at the Kohl Center and LaBahn Arena, fans at Camp Randall will be limited to purchasing only two drinks at a time per person. Athletics will offer beer, wine and pre-packaged alcoholic products such as hard seltzers.

A portion of the revenue from alcohol sales will provide financial support for existing and future campus-led efforts to promote student wellness and to encourage responsible behavior around the use of alcohol, such as offering alcohol-free programming for students and supporting students experiencing challenges related to high-risk behaviors.