Florida State University will sell beer at baseball games this season.
The university announced the decision in a letter to season ticket holders on Friday. Florida State joins South Florida as the only schools that serve beer at baseball games.
Athletic director Stan Wilcox said the school has studied the possibility of beer sales at Dick Howser Stadium for the past two years and sought input from Aramark and campus police. Wilcox said Aramark has lots of experience in on-campus alcohol sales.
Like at most professional and collegiate events, beer sales will be limited. Fans will be able to purchase a total of three during any game or four during a doubleheader. Sales will stop after the sixth inning of a single game and after the sixth inning of the second game in a doubleheader. Identification will be scanned and fans will receive an identifier that will be altered to indicate how many beers have been purchased. Beers will be $7 apiece.
Fans will not be allowed to enter or exit stadium gates with beer.
"We have followed the direction and recommendations from FSU Police in developing the policies surrounding these sales. I am confident we have a good plan in place to accommodate all of our baseball patrons," Wilcox said in an email to The Associated Press.
Wilcox said there are no plans to expand beer sales to football. Beer and liquor are sold at basketball games, but the Tucker Center is located off campus and was owned by Leon County until it was sold to the university last year.
The Seminoles, who will open their season on Feb. 19 against Rhode Island, have averaged more than 4,000 fans per baseball game the past 11 seasons, including 4,277 last year.
