STEVENS POINT - At the Board of Park Commissioners meeting on June 4, 2025, the board members voted unanimously in favor of permitting UWSP Athletics to sell alcohol inside Goerke Park and the K.B. Willett Arena for Pointer football and hockey games.
The board’s vote of approval will grant UWSP Athletics a one-year trial period of selling alcohol at their ticketed home games. After one year, they will appear before the board again with an evaluation of how the effort has gone.
Dan Kremer, Director of Parks, Recreation and Forestry, expressed his approval of the thorough preparations that UWSP has made to prepare for alcohol sales at games. “They’ve discussed logistics inside the events in terms of cleanliness, legalities of selling, enforcement, security, delivery of the product (especially if there are youth sporting events beforehand), as well as taking it off the grounds after, and how they would work with us for cleanup with the recycling of the cans,” said Kremer.
A public concern that has been raised is whether there will be an increase in alcohol-related injuries or incidents. Brad Duckworth, Director of Athletics at UW Stevens Point, confirms that the opposite is proving to be true. “UW-Madison started to sell beer at their hockey and football games, and they saw a reduction in alcohol-related incidents.”
Duckworth predicts based on records from other universities that have done the same that allowing alcohol sales in the stadium will lower the binge-drinking before and during games. “With on-site alcohol sales, those who are 21 will be drinking beer rather than carrying in booze,” said Duckworth.
UWSP Athletics has arranged several specific procedures to promote safety and regulation of drinking at these sporting events. Drinks will be sold in cans only, with no open cups, glass containers, or tap options. Attendees must pass through an ID-check and receive a wristband not only to purchase, but also to consume any alcohol on-site. There will be a two-beer maximum per person to control levels of service, and there will be messaging displayed in the stadium about safe alcohol consumption.
“We are still an educational institution—we don’t intend to run a bar,” said Duckworth. “We will be very intentional about everything we do with this.”
Board members were supportive of the idea and willing to permit UWSP this amendment to the city’s alcohol ordinance. “They’re our partners. They’re really good for Stevens Point because they bring people in for the events,” said John Okonek, Commission President. “What they’re doing is promoting alcohol in a healthy way.”
UWSP Athletics hopes that moving in this direction will increase revenue in a practical way for the city and the university, but most importantly, enhance the fan experience and meet the new expectations that are being set for college athletics.
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