UD relaxes alcohol sales at Bob, Delaware Stadium

The biggest star of last month's country concert at the Bob Carpenter Center in Newark may not have been headliner Chris Young after all.

It was something small, shiny and out of the spotlight.

Tall cans of cold Miller Lite and Coors Light were sold at concession stands for $8 each, ushering in what could be a new age of alcohol sales at the University of Delaware.

The changes come as UD pushes to book more concerts at the 4,500-person Bob Carpenter Center, teaming up with national concert promoters such as AEG and Live Nation to piggy-back on the big-name acts that have played there in the past, including Kanye West, Elton John and Drake.

A one-year pilot program is not only testing concert beer sales at the Bob, one of the biggest music venues in the state, but it also quietly expanded beer sales at Delaware Stadium football games this past season. 

While beer has been available at the Bob in the private Bob Carpenter Club for donors and at Delaware 87ers games at a beer garden, last month's concert was the first time concession beer was sold to anyone 21 and older at a concert in the sports arena.

At the approximately 22,000-seat Delaware Stadium, only deep-pocketed donors like the Blue Hens Club and Delaware Diamonds Society members or premium ticket-holders were previously allowed to buy beer at the stadium's two beer gardens, which opened several years ago.

This year it was opened to anyone 21 and older, but the Dogfish Head, 16 Mile and Coors Light brews were still strictly prohibited from the student section.

It was such a rare move that UD officials don't remember the last time stadium beer sales were open to all ticket-holders of legal drinking age -- especially at a school that has been publicly engaged in a focused and funded effort against excessive drinking for two decades.  

One thing is clear -- the university wants to fill seats and offering beer could be a way to do it. Attendance at football games has dropped from 2004's record average attendance of 22,280, steadily slipping over the years to an average of 16,478 this past season. 

"We all agreed we wanted to give this a shot," said Chrissi Rawak, UD's athletic director who was hired away from the University of Michigan in June. "One of my priorities is to make sure that the folks who choose to support our student athletes in any venue feel valued and have good experiences.

"Everybody has a choice where to spend their time and money and I want our fans to feel that it was well worth it."

In a nostalgia-filled video announcing Danny Rocco as the new football coach this week, the university bluntly faced the program's losing ways and sliding attendance while highlighting past success.

"There's no shying away from the fact that we've all lost a little bit of that feeling somewhere along the way. But we are here to tell you today that we have listened to you, the fans."

The testing of new beer rules comes 20 years after UD focused efforts to combat binge drinking on campus, spurred by an initial $700,000 grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In the late 1990s, UD began strictly enforcing a tailgating policy that required parties to stop when the football games began.

The administration instituted a three-strikes-and-you’re-out policy for alcohol violations, created more alcohol-free events on campus and launched a media campaign about the dangers of drinking. A crackdown on loud parties was followed with a zero-tolerance policy that encouraged police to issue noise violations, along with other restrictions on alcohol sales in town. 

The efforts have continued over time and in 2014, UD created its Campus Coalition for Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Prevention in an attempt to curb high-risk behavior by students.

When a question arose about whether country fans at the Chris Young concert would be able to buy beer, the administration approved the sales trial.

"It will be a case-by-case thing and if it's a good fit, we'll serve," said Dave Arthur, University of Delaware's assistant athletics director for sports & entertainment sales, adding that there will be no sales at student concerts. "We want people to have a great time. There is a certain expectation with some people that if they come to an event, they want to have a beer."

That is especially true at country music concerts.

"Beer and country music just go together," said UD senior Colt Armstrong, 21, who took advantage of the new beer sales at the Bob Carpenter Center at last month's concert, along with a few friends. "I love the choice of having a drink with a show."

Like Armstrong, country music fan Emily Cousineau didn't know concession beer sales had been previously been banned at all concerts.

"I didn't even realize it was the first time they allowed it," said Cousineau, 24, of Newark, who attended with a trio of friends. "No one was out of control or sloppy, which is definitely a turn-off with allowing alcohol at events.

"Everyone seemed to be having a really good time. I think it will generate more attraction to future events."

Allowing alcohol sales could help draw more well-known acts to the Bob.

Since country fans expect to be able to drink beer during a show, being able to sell beer helped Arthur snag a date on Young's busy tour calendar for a show that ended up being a sellout. The university's proceeds from such shows and beer sales will go back into the athletic department, officials said.

Security has had no alcohol-related problems at Bob events or Delaware Stadium football games due to beer sales, Arthur said. Servers have all been all trained and certified, he said.

In recent years, students have booked artists such as hip-hop acts Future, Chance the Rapper and Big Sean, along with rockers Walk the Moon, Young the Giant and Ed Sheeran. (Since the student groups help subsidize the artist's fee, ticket prices are kept manageable for students to see in-demand acts.)

Now, in addition to those concerts, UD is working with well-connected national music promoters to bring in a steady stream of concerts that target not just students, but the entire community.

Last month's country concert was the first such concert since 2013 when Bob Dylan and Dawes teamed up for a spirited night of Americana.

"I've heard stories from alumni about shows back in the day like when Billy Joel came," Rawak said. "It's great for the community and I feel like there's a responsibility that we have to provide those experiences for others. Part of what we are trying to do out here is create great memories and fun for people who visit our side of the world."

No upcoming shows have been announced, but Arthur said music fans should stay tuned as Delaware Stadium is also on the table now as a concert venue.

The completion of a 45,000-square-foot addition at the Bob in 2012, including two full-sized practice gymnasiums, helped open the main arena for more concerts during basketball season, allowing teams to practice in the additional gyms if needed.

The flexibility allows Arthur to venture into the crowded concert market, which is more crowded in Delaware with the addition of Firefly Music Festival in 2012 and The Grand's recent takeover of The Playhouse on Rodney Square. Arthur is actively seeking concerts for Newark, advertising to booking agents the venue's size, which is more than three times the capacity of The Grand or The Playhouse. 

"The entertainment landscape is so competitive," he said. "Maybe there was a time when they were breaking your door down, but that's not happening now so we have to get out there and network. We want to get them in here to do concerts and show them that it's going to successful and the artists will be happy."

Arthur also has history on his side, able to tout past acts that have performed at the Bob over the years, including music acts Kanye West, Johnny Cash, 50 Cent, Elton John, Drake and Phish along with comedians George Carlin, Jon Stewart, Dane Cook and Lewis Black.

"When you read that list off to people, they're shocked all those acts have played here," Arthur said. "We want to continue that tradition."

Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).

BOB CARPENTER CENTER ACTS OVER THE YEARS

10,000 Maniacs

Third Eye Blind

50 Cent

Adam Sandler

Alanis Morrisette

Ani DiFranco

Barenaked Ladies

Big Sean

Bob Dylan

Bryan Adams

Busta Rhymes

Chance the Rapper

Counting Crows

Crosby, Stills & Nash

Dane Cook

Drake

Dustin Lynch

Ed Sheeran

Elton John

Faith Hill

Fun

Future

George Carlin

Gin Blossoms

Goo Goo Dolls

Guster

Jason Mraz

Johnny Cash

Jon Stewart

Kanye West

Kenny Rogers

Lewis Black

Live

Ludacris

Lynyrd Skynrd

Maroon 5

Meatloaf

O.A.R.

Phish

Rick Ross

Ringo Starr

Steve Miller

Tim McGraw

Trey Songz

T-Pain

Young the Giant

Willie Nelson