Cal Athletics announced their plan to expand wine and beer sales at football games in 2019, along with positioning metal detectors at the entrance to games and adding fan assistance booths around the stadium
Cal is now the sixth school in the Pac-12 to expand alcohol sales, joining the Arizona schools, Colorado, and the Oregon schools in doing so. Previously, beer and wine had been available only at the 'Tailgate Town' on Maxwell Field, the beer garden on Goldman Plaza, and at the various club levels. Cal will now sell beer at eight locations around the stadium.
From the release:
Over 21+ wristbands will be required to purchase, possess or consume alcohol and will be issued with a valid ID to patrons 21 and over at ID kiosks inside the venue.
Alcohol will still not be allowed in the student section or in a designated family seating area (section VV).
"Many of our ticket holders have told us that they would like additional locations for the purchase of beer and wine during our events," Director of Athletics Jim Knowlton said in the release. "At the same time, it is imperative that we continue to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for all of our fans in a family-friendly environment. We have been deliberate in our planning, meeting with numerous colleagues and subject-area experts on campus over the past several months, and then implementing best practices based on their guidance, as well as research and evaluation of how the best stadiums manage alcohol sales. While we have confidence in the systems we are putting in place to manage sales and consumption, we will not hesitate to make appropriate adjustments if needed."
Cal will also be adding metal detectors, a change that had been made previously for basketball games, as well as adding Fan Assistance Booths at most entry gates.
From the release:
The new fan assistance booths will be stationed in and around Memorial Stadium near most entry gates, and they will be open from pregame through the start of the third quarter. Fan assistance personnel will be trained to help guests with:
- General assistance with directions, questions and complaints
- ADA questions
- Stadium information and policies
- Maps, schedules, Cal Athletics information and campus information
In addition, a new plan for shuttles and golf carts has been developed to assist stadium guests. Due to construction in downtown Berkeley, the express BART shuttle stop has moved to the West Crescent entrance to campus. After the game, golf carts will go to one of two shuttle pickup locations to allow them to service more patrons in a shorter amount of time.
