SEC Lifts Ban on Stadium-Wide Alcohol Sales

Beer and wine can be sold at SEC stadiums starting August 1.

The SEC announced its decision to lift its stadium-wide ban on alcohol sales during the SEC Spring Meetings on Friday.

Each school in the conference can decide to sell alcohol at games in public seating areas, with sales limited to only beer and alcohol under the policy. No hard liquor or mixed drinks can be sold in general seating areas. Alcoholic beverages must be sold at designated locations and cannot be sold by vendors in seating areas.

The conference also set rules on when alcohol sales will stop during games. The time limits include sales stopping at the end of the third quarter during football games, at the second half 12-minute TV timeout in men's basketball games and at the conclusion of the top of the 7th inning at baseball games.

Alcohol sales were previously banned at SEC stadiums due to bylaws that restricted sales only to private and controlled areas. The pressure was placed on SEC leaders in recent years to lift the ban as other programs across the country added stadium alcohol sales and the NCAA ended its long-standing ban on sales at championship events last spring.

More on the new SEC booze policy: pic.twitter.com/2sM3OOaLze

— Ben Baby (@Ben_Baby) May 31, 2019

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said each school has the autonomy to decide how to implement the new policy and doesn't have to sell alcohol stadium-wide.

"There is no expectation that anyone make alcohol available beyond clubs and suites," he said.

The new policy is effective Aug. 1, 2019 and does not affect sales in private areas.