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FSU joins USF in selling beer at baseball games

 
Published Jan. 31, 2016

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State will sell beer at baseball games this season.

The university announced the decision in a letter to season ticket holders Friday. Florida State joins USF as the only schools that serve beer at baseball games.

FSU studied the possibility of beer sales at Dick Howser Stadium for the past two years and sought input from concession company Aramark and campus police, athletic director Stan Wilcox said. Aramark has lots of experience in on-campus alcohol sales, Wilcox said.

As they are at most pro and collegiate events, beer sales will be limited. Fans will be able to purchase a total of three beers during a single game and four during a doubleheader. Sales will stop after the sixth inning of a single game and after the sixth inning of the second game of a doubleheader. Identification will be scanned, and fans will receive an identifier that will be altered to indicate how many beers have been purchased.

Fans will not be allowed to enter or exit stadium gates with beer, which will sell for $7 apiece.

"We have followed the direction and recommendations from FSU Police in developing the policies surrounding these sales," Wilcox said in an email to the Associated Press. "I am confident we have a good plan in place to accommodate all of our baseball patrons."

There are no plans to expand beer sales to football games, Wilcox said. Beer and liquor are sold at basketball games, but the Tucker Center is offcampus and was owned by Leon County until it was sold to the university last year.

The Seminoles, who open their season Feb. 19 against Rhode Island, have averaged more than 4,000 people per baseball game the past 11 seasons, including 4,277 last year.