Alcohol sales approved at UNCW’s Trask Coliseum

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — You can now add UNC Wilmington to the list of universities in North Carolina that will allow the sale of alcohol on campus.

Friday morning, the UNCW Board of Trustees unanimously approved the sale of alcohol at athletic events at Trask Coliseum.

A previous motion, which Trustees approved in July, directed staff to report on the specifics of allowing alcohol sales, including locations, permits, policies and practices.

At Friday’s meeting, UNCW staff provided that information. They gave a presentation of the updated Alcohol Policy and outlined the conditions for the sale of alcohol.

• Beer and wine will be sold at new stations in Trask Coliseum, separate from existing food and beverage concessions.
• UNCW plans to sell beer in cans and/or plastic bottles, no on draft.
• A wristband is required to purchase alcohol. Workers will check IDs before issuing a wristband.
• Beer and wine will not be sold to anyone who appears intoxicated.
• Officials will be added to monitor fan safety and behavior inside the arena.
• Each sale may include only one beverage per transaction.
• Beer and wine sales will begin when gates open 90 minutes prior to tipoff and stop at the first media timeout in the second half for men’s basketball games, and at the beginning of the third quarter for women’s basketball games.

Most students at UNCW seem to be in favor of the idea, including freshman Chris Janovetz.

“It’ll create a more fun atmosphere,” he said, “but the biggest thing is making sure everyone is smart and stays safe about it.”

Most beer and wine will be sold for $8. UNCW and Aramark will split the profits 50/50. Aramark will be responsible for covering all costs associated with the sales, including labor  expenses, inventory expenses, the cost of obtaining permits and training.

“As long as they ID people and make sure they’re 21, I feel like it’s just like a football game,” said UNCW student Jacob Ninehan.

Sales will begin Saturday during the women’s basketball game against Lenoir-Rhyne.

“It’ll definitely make the games more fun and enjoyable for the older crowds,” one UNCW student commented, “especially the alumni coming back to school and supporting their team.”

Trustee Woody White said venues for other sporting events will be entertained during January’s Board of Trustee meeting.