The SEC Friday approved the sale of alcohol in public areas at athletic events. The vote came on the final day of league's meeting in Destin, Fla. Schools in the conference are now free to choose whether or not to sell beer and wine at their venues. The University of Alabama indicated that it has no plans to sell alcohol during the upcoming season. "We have one of the best game-day atmospheres in the country, and we don’t envision making changes at this time," a statement said. Auburn University president Steven Leath said the school will not be selling alcohol, Auburn Undercover reported.
"Our policy governing alcohol sales has been a source of considerable discussion and respectful debate among our member universities in recent years," Commissioner Greg Sankey said in a statement. "As a Conference, we have been observant of trends in the sale and consumption of alcohol at collegiate sporting events and have drawn upon the experiences and insights of our member schools which have responsibly established limited alcohol sales within controlled spaces and premium seating areas."
Under the new policy, alcohol sales will cut off in the third quarter of football games, and near the end of other athletic events.
The policy takes effect Aug. 1.