'U' not on board with expanding alcohol sales just yet

The University of Minnesota has some concerns over expanding alcohol sales to other major arenas on campus, the Star Tribune reports.

Rep. Dan Schoen, DFL-St. Paul Park, proposed a bill that would allow beer and wine to be sold at both Gopher hockey and basketball games after nearly $1 million in alcohol was sold at TCF Bank Stadium last season, equal to $80,000 in state tax revenue.

Schoen says the alcohol sales proved "Armageddon did not happen" and booze could be monitored.

University lobbyist Todd Iverson tells the newspaper that the "U" would like to wait another season before implementing beer and wine sales at other arenas.

“What we’re asking for is that we do the two-year experiment on football at the stadium," Iverson said. "We just want a little time to think about this.”

Iverson also says more games, many at night, are played at Mariucci and Williams and have very different atmospheres from games played at TCF Bank Stadium--factors that might make the university more reluctant to bring alcohol into the mix.

The stadium alcohol bill was accepted for possible inclusion in this year’s omnibus House liquor bill.