Ole Miss to sell alcohol for first time at Saturday’s game

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) –  Ole Miss sports fans will be allowed to purchase beer at athletic events. That policy change comes after the SEC lifted its ban on schools selling alcohol.

While some SEC schools began selling alcohol when football season began, Ole Miss officials wanted to move slowly.

“We decided to study things and make sure we are doing things the right way, so we will implement starting on Saturday against Texas A&M,” said Keith Carter, who is interim athletic director for the University of Mississippi.

He said the decision by the SEC will help reduce problems associated with pre-game drinking. For years, tailgating in the Grove has been a tradition, and Carter said having beer available inside the stadium is expected to have a positive impact.

“You see some binge drinking, you see people before they go in the stadium, they want to have a drink or two before they come in and sometimes that goes to excess, we think now we can monitor and regulate the sales, we have a better opportunity to monitor that game day and make sure things are going in a positive manner,” said Carter.

Additional trained staff will be on hand for athletic events. There are also other rules and regulations. Sales are limited to two beverages per transaction. Also, alcohol sales will stop after the third quarter.

Carter said it’s important for the university to maintain a family-friendly atmosphere even with the sale of alcohol.

“I think for us at the end of the day, we want to implement this and really for people not to notice any difference, for them to come in, and enjoy the game day and all of those things,” he said.

Ole Miss is the seventh SEC school to sell alcohol since the ban was lifted.

For more information on policies regarding alcohol sales at Ole Miss games, click here.