Alcohol sales aren't permitted at Arkansas State athletic events, but a step expected to be taken today could help change that by next fall.
The ASU Board of Trustees will hold a conference call at 10:30 a.m. today during which it expects to enter into a lease agreement with NEA Sports Club, a nonprofit corporation based in Jonesboro that will apply to the Alcohol Beverage Control Board for a large event facility permit.
Jeff Hankins, ASU's vice president of strategic communications, said if the lease agreement is approved, the university expects the club to apply for the permit next week. The permit would allow ASU to sell beer, wine and liquor to those with tickets to premium seating areas at Centennial Bank Stadium for football games and at Tomlinson Stadium for baseball games.
"It's a growing trend around the country," Hankins said. "No. 1 for us, it's about providing an amenity to our fans. No. 2, there's opportunity for an additional revenue stream for the Red Wolves Foundation."
Hankins said the school hasn't estimated what type of revenue can be made from alcohol sales for the Red Wolves Foundation, the athletic department's fundraising arm. The foundation has raised money for an indoor practice facility that is nearing completion and the $15 million-$16 million westside expansion at Centennial Bank Stadium that will house suites in which alcohol will be sold.
A permit likely won't be obtained by the NEA Sports Club in time to sell alcohol in premium areas at Tomlinson Stadium for baseball games this season, but Hankins said the permit should be in hand in time for the Sept. 12 football home opener against Missouri at Centennial Bank Stadium.
Hankins said the NEA Sports Club is a "relatively new" nonprofit that has been in place for just more than a year. Bill Stanley, a Jonesboro attorney who is acting as president of the club, referred comment to spokesman Jim Lyons, who could not be reached for comment Thursday.
Lyons, a Jonesboro attorney, was an ASU football letterman and was described by Hankins as an ASU supporter.
Alcohol sales won't be permitted in any form at ASU basketball games, Hankins said, but alcohol will be provided to those in a premium area of the Convocation Center through a lease agreement with the Red Wolves Foundation. Hankins said the absence of closed-in suites at the Convocation Center was one reason for that decision.
Hankins said it was a "university decision" to limit alcohol sales to premium areas at Centennial Bank Stadium and Tomlinson Stadium.
"Since it's not going to be available to the general public at the football stadium, we didn't feel like we should make it available to the general public for basketball games either," Hankins said.
The Convocation Center will sell alcohol for concerts, which Hankins said should allow the venue to attract a wider variety of performers.
The alcohol policy ASU hopes to have in place by the fall isn't much different than others in the region. The University of Arkansas announced in February 2014 it would sell beer and wine to those in premium seats at Reynolds Razorback Stadium, and several other Sun Belt Conference schools sell alcohol to those with general seat tickets at football games.
UALR's Jack Stephens Center sells beer during basketball games and offers wine and liquor in suites. Georgia State, Louisiana-Monroe, South Alabama and Troy sell alcohol to general seat ticket-holders at football games.
An overview of the proposed policy distributed by Hankins said any associated costs related to the application process will be paid for by the NEA Sports Club and the Red Wolves Foundation, not the university.
Sports on 04/10/2015