University of Alabama, city of Tuscaloosa reportedly come to agreement after alcohol service fees spat
By Adam Spencer
Published:
The University of Alabama had a plan in place to serve alcohol at games last year. But, then, the city of Tuscaloosa added a service fee for large venues that wanted to serve alcohol, citing public safety concerns.
That led to a rare spat between the university and the city, but now it seems things have settled down.
Per a report from TuscaloosaThread.com, the university will provide funding to the city to cover some increased costs around major game days:
Under a new agreement, the University will provide specialty service funding to cover the enhanced fire and rescue, police, transportation and infrastructure services needed to provide a top-notch Gameday experience.
The University also introduced a new scholarship program that will fund scholarships for Tuscaloosa police officers and firefighters.
The two measures collectively will replace the service fee that caused so much friction earlier this year.
“We can’t express enough how much we appreciate and value the many public safety, fire and rescue, transportation, and other staff who help keep our communities safe and running smoothly,” said UA President Stuart Bell. “This agreement underscores the important roles they play and how the University values their roles.”
Whether or not this means alcohol sales will be coming to Bryant-Denny Stadium, Coleman Coliseum and other Alabama athletic venues this upcoming academic year remains to be seen, but it does appear to be trending in that direction.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
