Kentucky athletics director Mitch Barnhart talked about NIL and alcohol sales with The Lane Report. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Barnhart said he thought it would be several years before he could tell how NIL is going to play out.
“There will be a molding of the landscape over time. We’re way too young in the game to say we have all the answers of what’s going to happen in the NIL space. Throw in the transfer portal and all of those things that happened all at once, and I don’t think anybody has their hand on the steering wheel yet,” Barnhart told Green.
“Everyone wants their school to get behind NIL and support it, and we have in a lot of different ways. The collectives have gotten attention because that’s where everyone thinks there are large buckets of money. Those buckets of money are only as effective as the fan base saying we want to put money into this collective.
Many Kentucky fans likely were even less enamored with his response when Green asked him if he had a role in setting the policy for alcohol sales and if that policy might change any time soon.
“It’s important to make sure we examine all sides equally. Some are very vocal about their desire to have alcohol sales. Less vocal are the folks—many, many of whom stop me to say, ‘We hope you don’t sell alcohol because we won’t feel comfortable bringing our family to games,’” Barnhart said in the interview.
“You try to find what serves everyone best. There are people who say you have clubs where alcohol is available and for people who desire to have a drink, that is the place they are able to purchase an opportunity to do that. There is a separation for those who don’t want that as part of the fan experience. It will continue to be a conversation at an institutional level and we’ll continue to think our way through it.”
Kentucky does offer alcohol sales in the club section but tickets normally are not available to the general public.
2 Responses
I held season football tickets for several decades during the time when in-stadium alcohol sales were not even on the radar screen. Yet, I observed a free flow of alcohol both outside the stadium and inside the stadium, without any visible effort by authorities to enforce a clear, and known ban on alcohol use at University events such as football games. I observed drunken behavior in the stands including loud abusive conduct and spilling drinks on others.
I doubt that this situation has changed with the advent of sanctioned alcohol use in these "club" areas of the stadium.
Therefore, I think the University’s prohibition of alcohol use is a non-issue for fans because the University sanctioning or prohibiting the use has never made a bit of difference to those attending the games who want to consume alcohol. From a legal perspective, I believe the University could expand its liability exposure if it sanctions alcohol use at University events such as football games.
Good.