By The Guy who stole Tom Brady’s jersey
Athletic Director Ryan Bamford has announced that starting in the fall of 2017, both McGuirk Stadium and Mullins Center will be licensed to serve alcohol.
This would mean that UMass fans attending football, men’s and women’s basketball and hockey games will be able to purchase beer when supporting the Minutemen and Minutewomen.
“This is a great way for our program to get our crowds more engaged,” Bamford said. “Our fans and student body alike I’m sure will welcome this new change with open arms.”
UMass athletics has also released a short list of labels that fans can expect to see at each game, including Pabst Blue Ribbon, Busch Light and Key Stone Light.
Bamford also added that members of the Commonwealth Club will be served special Rubinoff-infused cocktails prior to the game.
“We wanted to show that we are attuned to life here on campus, and we think that these products reflect that,” Bamford said.
When asked about the concern for underage students having further access to alcohol on campus, Bamford wanted to assure the public that they would be taking all necessary precautions.
Bars at both Mullins and McGuirk will be equipped with I.D. scanners, and all students who are of age will be required to bring photo identification other than their UCards.
“We’ll be in contact with our campus police department throughout this process,” Bamford said. “We won’t be making any sloppy mistakes.”
Bamford also went on to explain that the main reason for this change was to hopefully increase the number of fans at the Minutemen and Minutewomen home games.
“With football especially, it would be nice if the crowd size in the second half was similar to that of the first half,” Bamford said. “We hope the tailgaters actually make it into the stadium.”
The new policy will go into action starting Aug. 26, when Minutemen football hosts Hawaii to start the season.
UMPD has also announced there will be extra officers on hand to ensure a smooth and orderly transition into this new era of UMass sports.
The Guy who stole Tom Brady’s jersey can be found at Roger Goodell’s penthouse.
