Kansas State announces stadium-wide alcohol sales at Bill Snyder Family Stadium

MANHATTAN — At long last, Kansas State has announced stadium-wide alcohol sales are coming to Bill Snyder Family Stadium, starting this football season.

The much-discussed addition to Wildcats football games was announced by athletic director Gene Taylor on Thursday, July 16, opening the door to the sale of beer, seltzers, canned cocktails and wine, available for purchase throughout the stadium starting Sept. 5, when K-State hosts Nicholls.

Taylor added in a release that K-State will continue its longstanding re-entry policy, allowing fans to exit the stadium to their tailgates and re-enter with a valid ticket.

"This has been a topic that we have carefully researched for years," Taylor said. "We always want to keep our student-athletes and fans at the forefront of every decision we make, and that was the driver in this decision as well. While it will provide our department with additional revenue during this new era of collegiate athletics, it will also be a key piece in maintaining a competitive advantage by keeping more fans in their seats throughout the entirety of games. This is a big decision, and we will be prepared to adjust as we see fit in future seasons."

Fans will be allowed to purchase alcoholic beverages at multiple locations throughout the stadium and return to their seats to consume them. Previously, alcohol was only available for consumption in the beer gardens at the stadium.

Now, Kansas State will install these new policies:

• Guests must be 21 or older to purchase alcohol and must provide legal identification at the time of purchase
• Sales will be limited to two beverages per person, per sale
• Sales will end at the end of the third quarter
• Current policies in premium areas will remain in effect
• K-State reserves the right to eject any patron whose behavior is against policy, unruly or illegal in nature
• K-State encourages responsible alcohol consumption and for groups to designate a sober driver

An updated concessions map will be available in August with specific alcohol sales locations marked. Not every concession stand in the stadium is equipped to sell alcohol.

Taylor told the Capital-Journal in May that the school was conducting a study on the topic, which involved examining restroom congestion and concession lines. He teased that the school could add concession stands.

Alcohol sales add a new revenue stream for Kansas State. The majority of schools have begun selling alcohol to the general public in recent years, especially since the SEC allowed the practice in 2019. Nebraska became the last Big Ten team to join the party a year ago, which reportedly brought in about $4.3 million.

Iowa State also announced in June that it would begin selling alcohol at its football games this year.

Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@usatodayco.com

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State announces stadium-wide alcohol sales at Bill Snyder Family Stadium