Tennessee vendor receives permit for beer sales at sports venues including Neyland Stadium

Tennessee is one step closer to offering beer to fans attending games at Neyland Stadium and other Volunteers sports venues this fall.

Blake Stevens of WATE 6 News in Knoxville broke the news Tuesday evening that the Knoxville Beer Board granted a beer permit to Aramark, University of Tennessee-Knoxville’s food and beverage vendor, to serve beer at Neyland Stadium, Thompson-Boiling Arena and Regal Soccer Stadium.

At the SEC Spring Meetings, the conference ban on alcohol sales was lifted, leaving the decision up to the individual school. Following the news, Tennessee athletics director Philip Fulmer told the Knoxville News that the athletic department was exploring its options.

“We already are exploring it, and two schools in our state (Middle Tennessee State and Memphis) are already serving alcohol at games,” Fulmer said on May 31. “To what degree and how (it’s implemented), that’s strictly to be determined.”

One candidate for local government inquired how Aramark would handle already intoxicated people seeking to purchase more alcohol.

Questions over alcohol at UT continue at beer board meeting… .@SWelch1st asked Aramark rep how employees are trained to identify an intoxicated person. Aramark says they won’t sell to intoxicated people. #WATE

— Blake Stevens (@bstevensnews) July 16, 2019

The kegs aren’t rolling into Neyland Stadium quite yet, but it sure looks like there will be beer available at upcoming Vols home football games.

#BREAKING: Knoxville Beer Board grants beer permits to Aramark, UTK’s food vendor. This paves the way for alcohol sales at Neyland Stadium, Thompson-Boling Arena, and Regal Soccer Stadium. #WATE 🍺🍊

— Blake Stevens (@bstevensnews) July 16, 2019

Andrew Olson

Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.