EVANSTON, Illinois – Northwestern Athletics will offer beer and wine sales to fans this winter for games inside Welsh-Ryan Arena, home of Wildcats basketball and wrestling. General sales will begin for the first time on January 1, 2023, when men’s basketball tips off the Big Ten home schedule against Ohio State at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Northwestern is dedicated to providing a safe beverage experience to fans, and hospitality staff will be trained and certified in responsible alcohol service. All patrons 21 years of age and older will be required to show proper identification to receive a wristband to purchase, with options including a variety of imported, domestic and local beers, as well as red and white wine. All sales locations will be independent from concessions stands to help with ID monitoring and crowd control.
“We are continually looking for ways to improve the fan experience for our Wildcats community,” said Executive Senior Associate A.D. for Revenue Generation and Strategic Initiatives Tyler Jones. “Northwestern has one of the most informed, sophisticated fanbases in college sports, welcoming patrons who regularly visit many of the world-class professional venues across Chicagoland. Bringing our gameday experience in line with those facilities is an important step as we strive to offer the best sports entertainment value in the region.”
Northwestern will be the tenth Big Ten Conference school to implement beer sales to the general public. The new offerings are just the most recent example of a host of initiatives introduced this season to elevate the premium fan experience inside Welsh-Ryan Arena, joining the all-inclusive Fast Break (MBB) and Full Court (WBB) Packages, and season ticket availability to the Wilson Club.
Wildcats women’s basketball’s first game under the new policy will be on Monday, January 2, when the ‘Cats welcome Michigan State to Evanston, while wrestling will debut this season at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday, January 7, against Minnesota.
Northwestern University believes a caring, safe, and well-informed community fosters an environment in which we can all live and learn. To that end, we all share responsibility for promoting healthy behavior. In supporting each individual’s health and well-being, the Community Alcohol Coalition assist students, staff, and faculty in…
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