UA President Affirms Decision To Pause Plans For Alcohol Sales In Campus Venues

TUSCALOOSA, AL — University of Alabama President Stuart Bell released a statement Tuesday echoing support for UA Athletic Director Greg Byrne and the university's decision to pause its plans to sell alcohol in campus sports venues like Coleman Coliseum and Bryant-Denny Stadium.

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While expressing support for the numerous police officers from agencies other than UAPD who provide supplemental security for events, especially on college football Saturdays, Bell said UA Athletics and its fans currently pay more in ticket and concession sales taxes than all but one SEC school.

As Patch previously reported, Byrne took aim at a service fee on tickets sold in venues where alcohol sales would be permitted, resulting in an increase in ticket prices. It was this component of the overall deal, he said, that resulted in UA's decision to pause the push for alcohol sales in campus venues.

Bell went on to say on Tuesday that while sales tax revenue generated by UA already benefits the City of Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa County and their respective law enforcement agencies, the city, county, and state also receive significant sales taxes from restaurants, bars, retail outlets and hotels generated by UA athletics and campus events.

"The University was surprised by the City’s arbitrary service fee," Bell said. "Therefore, the planned new sales at our UA venues will remain on hold as we review the impact this fee could have on our University, Athletics, and fans."

Patch previously reported when the Tuscaloosa City Council on Feb. 1 approved to grant the alcohol retail license for Coleman Coliseum, which comes after a 2019 decision by the Southeastern Conference to allow schools to decide for themselves whether or not to pursue on-campus alcohol sales.

The decision by the City Council, which only applied to Coleman Coliseum, opened the door for the selling of beer, wine and seltzers in the venue, with the alcohol license awarded to Levy Premium Food Service.

The measure that included the "service fee" in question was first passed by the city last September, when the Tuscaloosa City Council approved its budget for the current fiscal year. The same occupancy-based fee structure also applies to venues like the Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, the Bama Theatre and other large venues where alcohol is sold.

However, as Patch reported on Monday, the source of frustration from UA stems from a specific amendment to the city code introduced last week and approved by the full Council that would see the service fee increase based on occupancy at the event where alcohol is sold.

For instance, for events with 1,000-19,999 attendees, the service fee would be $1 per ticket sold.

However, that fee is increased to $2 per ticket when attendance is 20,000 -49,999 and $3 when the crowd is larger than 50,000. The biggest change brought by the amendment, however, raised the service fee for events with more than 50,000 from $2.50 to $3.

District 4 Councilor Lee Busby, whose district includes a large part of the UA campus and Tuscaloosa's entertainment district, was the lone vote against the amendment.

The initial statute went into effect on Jan. 1 of this year. And, according to the ordinance, the rate established will be increased at the beginning of each fiscal year after Oct. 1, 2023, which will be based on the prior fiscal year's increase in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

What's more, the revenue generated from the proposed service fee, according to city officials, would have been used to provide funding to the Tuscaloosa Police Department and Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue Service — two departments that have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and the accompanying financial belt-tightening to ensure essential city services are not impacted

"I respect Greg's opinion and his record of accomplishment," Maddox said in a statement to Patch on Monday. "I respect even more the City's responsibility to provide the safest environment possible. This issue is not new and deserves continued, personal and thoughtful discussion with all parties involved. Our police officers, firefighters, and paramedics deserve our best to ensure the safest environment possible for citizens and guests of the City of Tuscaloosa."

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