On August 1st the SEC will be lifting it's ban on selling alcohol to fans in general seating, but Alabama and Auburn have decided they will still not be selling alcoholic beverages to those individuals.
“This new policy allows each campus to decide what is right for them,” Alabama said in a statement via AL.com. “These guidelines will be helpful as we move forward and have future conversations. We have one of the best game-day atmospheres in the country, and we don’t envision making changes at this time.”
“If Auburn chooses to make any changes in alcohol sales at its athletic facilities, it would do so through a thoughtful, deliberative process to consider carefully the impacts on health, safety and the overall fan experience,” an Auburn spokesman said in an email via AL.com.
The Rule will allow alcohol to be sold up until the end of the 3rd quarter of football games, and the 12 minute mark of the second half of basketball games.
“Our policy governing alcohol sales has been a source of considerable discussion and respectful debate among our member universities in recent years,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said of the rule cha. “As a conference, we have been observant of trends in the sale and consumption of alcohol at collegiate sporting events and have drawn upon the experiences and insights of our member schools which have responsibly established limited alcohol sales within controlled spaces and premium seating areas. We remain the only conference to set forth league-wide standards for the responsible management of the sale of alcoholic beverages.”