Alcohol Sales Expand to UF Baseball, Softball, and Lacrosse Games

UAA announces alcohol sales will be allowed at baseball, softball, and lacrosse games this Spring. #Gators pic.twitter.com/gx1O9s62W9

— Brian Fox, Jr. (@ChompTalkBrian) February 6, 2020

In a press release on Thursday, the University of Florida Athletic Association announced the expansion of alcohol sales at Florida Baseball, Softball, and Lacrosse games for the Spring 2020 season. The sale of alcohol will include 12-ounce beers, Eight-ounce wines, and 12-ounce High Noon seltzers.

The sale of alcohol at sporting events isn’t a new occurrence for the Gators. Florida basketball fans have been enjoying alcoholic beverages since the season opener in November.

This weekend, the first implementation of this new trial program will be in full force as Lacrosse opens its season against #18 Colorado at noon.

This past summer, the Southeastern Conference announced a revision to its current rules and the availability of alcoholic beverages at athletics events at the Conference’s Spring Meetings in Destin. Under this updated policy, each school in the Conference now has the ability to determine whether or not to sell alcoholic beverages in its sporting venues, subject to certain Conference-wide alcohol management expectations.

Rules and Regulations:

Florida’s alcohol management expectations are as followed:

• Alcoholic beverages will be sold and dispensed only at designated stationary locations.
• Alcoholic beverages will not be sold by vendors within the seating areas.
• Identification check will be required at every point of sale to prevent sales to minors.
• Alcoholic beverage sales are limited to beer and wine only.
• Fans, with valid legal IDs, will be permitted to only buy a maximum of two drinks at a time.
• Alcohol must be dispensed into cups.
• Safe server training and additional training for staff to handle high-risk situations is required.
• Sales and distribution of alcohol will stop at the start of the end of the top of 7^th inning for baseball, end of the top of the 5^th inning for softball and at the 15-minute mark of the second half in Lacrosse.

Venues on the first and third base side will be the only locations serving alcohol at softball. The south concession stand will be the only location serving alcoholic beverages at Lacrosse. As for baseball, designated areas behind home plate, an area on the first base side and throughout Dizney Plaza. All other concession areas will remain alcohol-free.

Finally, following each game Uber and Lyft will be available. Additionally, all cans are recyclable.

Other SEC schools such as South Carolina and Texas A&M have rolled out similar trial programs this spring. For now, the UAA said that this is a pilot program and that they plan to continue to evaluate whether to serve alcohol at additional athletic events.