FARGO – The Fargodome on Bison game day has long been a beer-free zone, but when its board earlier this week discussed allowing alcohol sales in suites, city leaders began to wonder, "Why not everywhere?"
"First thing that popped into my mind was Caesar at the Colosseum, where the people in the box seats get liquor or beer or whatever and the folks down at the bottom don't get it," Commissioner Tony Gehrig said. "You're selling alcohol to adults of legal age. If you're going to do it for some, you should do it for all. That's just a fairness thing."
Gehrig isn't the only one who thinks so, and his comments mirror a recent controversy at the University of Minnesota. State legislators there did not approve of the administration's plan to sell alcohol only in suites, so they put the brakes on all booze until the general public was included. In 2012, they passed a compromise that allowed sales in certain sections of TCF Bank Stadium.
Could a re-enactment be in Fargo's future?
The City Commission has to sign off on the Fargo Dome Authority board's recommendation. Mayor Tim Mahoney said commissioners would likely only approve a recommendation that extends alcohol sales.
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"I think it's only fair that everybody would have an opportunity to have a beer," Mahoney said. "If you're going to open it up for the dome, why not have it for everybody?
"We have a lot of guests that come into our community, and I think it'd be great if they were allowed to do that."
Mahoney said City Commissioner Dave Piepkorn, who could not be reached for comment, also favors alcohol sales to the general public.
Fargodome suites cost $35,000 to $50,000 a year, General Manager Rob Sobolik said. There are 18 total, 17 of which are owned or leased by specific groups. One is left open and sold on an event-by-event basis.
The reserved suites belong primarily to companies: Property Resources Group, InterceptEFT, Bergseth Brothers, SSS Ltd., Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Bobcat-Doosan, Bell State Bank & Trust, Bank of the West, Eide Bailly, Master Construction, Cloverdale Meats and Gate City Bank. Western State Bank and Jordahl Custom Homes share a suite, as do Solid Comfort and Stutsman Harley-Davidson.
The Cosmos Club and North Dakota State University also have suites, Sobolik said.
Whether NDSU would agree with a "beer for all" approach remains to be seen.
Unlike former President Joe Chapman, President Dean Bresciani has said he's open to alcohol sales in the suites, according to Fargo Dome Authority board President John Q. Paulsen.
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But Bresciani was out of the country this week and not available for comment on alcohol sales outside the suites.
Robert Kringler, who ran for NDSU student body president on the platform that he would promote drink sales at Bison games, thought students would be upset by the suites-only approach.
"I think they would just have the natural reaction that says, 'So if you pay enough money you can get beer, and the average person can't,' " he said.
Kringler called the proposal a "very positive first step," though.
Nationwide, suites-only drinking remains the norm, but stadiumwide sales are on the rise. Alcohol was sold to the general public at 32 college stadiums last season, in part because alcohol is a boon to overall revenue, according to The Associated Press.
Fargo city officials say stadiumwide sales would also promote safer drinking.
In Gehrig's experience, many fans "end up drinking a little more than they normally would going into the game, so they can carry through with that party atmosphere they had while they were tailgating," he said. "You're almost encouraging binge drinking because you're not allowing them to enjoy alcohol during the game."
That's what Kringler said in his campaign, and Mahoney thought the measure could ultimately benefit students more than a ban.
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"If you see people who drink responsible, that's probably a better example than anything else," Mahoney said. "Student section, obviously, you couldn't have drinking."
"It's just a dance that we play," Gehrig said. "We allow them to do it during tailgating, but we don't allow them to do it during the game. I think it's a mixed message and a wrong message."
