Iowa Athletics Allowing Alcohol Sales at Kinnick, Carver

"The athletics department will also modify its parking lot hours as part of the pilot program. In the past, UI controlled parking lots opened for tailgating at 6 a.m. on game day, regardless of kickoff time. Beginning this fall, parking lots will open no more than six hours prior to kickoff and no earlier than 6 a.m. "

Sorry, but getting beer in the stadium in exchange for this is a shitty deal. For 7 PM games you won't be able to start tailgating until 1. The U cites some study from 2019 that "92% of fans arrived less than 6 hours before kickoff." Yeah, that makes sense because 4 games were at 11, one was at 3 (only the die hards are at these before 9), and two were around 7PM. So the days of pulling in for the night games at 11 and having dinner and supper at your tailgate are pretty much over. Another piece of magic of Kinnick removed. What a load of shit.
 
Not sure why my previous post which was the 2nd post on this thread was deleted, but I'll try again with a kindler, gentler tone. Barta's claim that this change was made to improve "fan amenities" rather than for additional revenue is....shall we say, BS? I think we all know if there was not revenue to be had this would not have been done. I've been attending games at Kinnick for 30+ years, and the only "amenity" that benefitted the average fan -- not those in the suites or boxes -- were when they provided extra water on steaming hot gamedays in Sept. -- and even tho it could be argued the only reason they did that was to avoid litigation if someone died of heat exhaustion, I would NEVER suggest such a thing because I actually like reading and posting on this site!
 
If revenue were driving the ship, I doubt they would be giving 30% of the profit to charity. I am not saying that they are not trying to make money. Of course they are, but trading a $3 coke for a $6 budweiser is not going to generate that much more cash.

I think the bigger driver is that its just harder to get people to attend live sporting events these days. We almost never sell out Carver, and Kinnick is regularly not full for crappy games. The pandemic is only going to accelerate that trend.

Iowa is competing with 80 inch high def tvs and a private bathroom down the hall. If you want the fan experience, you can go to an Iowa bar and watch a game and have a great time. Going to a game is damn near a whole day committment,, which not everyone has the time to do.

I personally love going to games, but times are changing.

Adding beer is one additional way to keep fans happy and keep them coming through the turn styles. Will it, by itself, fill the stadium? No, but every little bit helps. Look for more moves like this.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
If revenue were driving the ship, I doubt they would be giving 30% of the profit to charity. I am not saying that they are not trying to make money. Of course they are, but trading a $3 coke for a $6 budweiser is not going to generate that much more cash.

I think the bigger driver is that its just harder to get people to attend live sporting events these days. We almost never sell out Carver, and Kinnick is regularly not full for crappy games. The pandemic is only going to accelerate that trend.

Iowa is competing with 80 inch high def tvs and a private bathroom down the hall. If you want the fan experience, you can go to an Iowa bar and watch a game and have a great time. Going to a game is damn near a whole day committment,, which not everyone has the time to do.

I personally love going to games, but times are changing.

Adding beer is one additional way to keep fans happy and keep them coming through the turn styles. Will it, by itself, fill the stadium? No, but every little bit helps. Look for more moves like this.
Click to expand...

Rebuttal would be if revenue wasn't the driving ship then why not do it in the past. Selling alcohol in Iowa venues isn't a new concept. I guess my opinion is had it happened any year other than the year after covid hit and Kinnick went empty I might believe it wasn't about making money. Not only from concessions, but beer sponsorships as well.
 
On the plus side I can't imagine what the closing minutes of a competitive night game are going to sound like. A hostile road environment just got a little crazier.
 
NorthKCHawk said:
If revenue were driving the ship, I doubt they would be giving 30% of the profit to charity. I am not saying that they are not trying to make money. Of course they are, but trading a $3 coke for a $6 budweiser is not going to generate that much more cash.

I think the bigger driver is that its just harder to get people to attend live sporting events these days. We almost never sell out Carver, and Kinnick is regularly not full for crappy games. The pandemic is only going to accelerate that trend.

Iowa is competing with 80 inch high def tvs and a private bathroom down the hall. If you want the fan experience, you can go to an Iowa bar and watch a game and have a great time. Going to a game is damn near a whole day committment,, which not everyone has the time to do.

I personally love going to games, but times are changing.

Adding beer is one additional way to keep fans happy and keep them coming through the turn styles. Will it, by itself, fill the stadium? No, but every little bit helps. Look for more moves like this.
Click to expand...

30% of net profit, breh. They'll use Hollywood accounting and the "donation" won't be paid until they sell $1.3 trillion of beer.
 
Grady said:
Not sure why my previous post which was the 2nd post on this thread was deleted, but I'll try again with a kindler, gentler tone. Barta's claim that this change was made to improve "fan amenities" rather than for additional revenue is....shall we say, BS? I think we all know if there was not revenue to be had this would not have been done. I've been attending games at Kinnick for 30+ years, and the only "amenity" that benefitted the average fan -- not those in the suites or boxes -- were when they provided extra water on steaming hot gamedays in Sept. -- and even tho it could be argued the only reason they did that was to avoid litigation if someone died of heat exhaustion, I would NEVER suggest such a thing because I actually like reading and posting on this site!
Click to expand...

Yes, this is a revenue grab for sure. The 6 hour tailgate rule is a huge cost saving. Huge. And then add revenue from the beer sales. This is Barta desperately trying to nickel and dime his way out of the $70 million the athletic department borrowed last year. It is transparent as hell.
 
Must have a budget shortfall.

Probably 80-90% of the sales will go to people who just think it will add to the experience to suck on a $9 beer while they watch the game. 10-20% of the sales will go to drunks who, if they were going to make a scene, were likely to do it with or without access to booze in the stadium.

The number of people who, without access to booze in the stadium, would have enjoyed the game like a normal, functioning adult but, granted access to booze in the stadium, manage to turn themselves into raging drunken buttholes I think is very, very slim.

Not a drinker myself, but I don't see a big problem with it. Seems like a good way to scrounge up some extra cash.
 
Northside Hawk said:
Bring. Back. The. Bota!

On a serious note I seldom drink at athletic events anyway. Too expensive and lines too long.

Before and after the game, different story.
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Yeah, I never saw the fascination on getting hammered at a game, unless you're a student who can stumble back to the dorms. Now if I'm in my easy chair watching the big screen, ice 'em up!

I remember one of the last times I was at the Iowa State Fair, watching the stumbling drunks and wondered why? To top it off it was most likely dogshit cheap-ass crap that would make Budweiser taste like fine champagne.
 
I have talked to most of the blue hairs in my basketball section. We won’t be drinking in CHA. Why? Because then we would fall asleep and miss the action.
 
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