Mitch Barnhart says UK wasn't ready to address public alcohol sales

The University of Kentucky will not sell alcohol to the general public at home games in 2021-22, however, patrons in luxury areas of Kroger Field and Rupp Arena and are still able to purchase beer and wine at events. Matt Jones addressed the hypocrisy to Mitch Barnhart in a lengthy conversation Thursday morning.

“The suites and the clubs are private areas and they can make the decision…,” said UK’s director of athletics.

“… That’s a private area where they have asked for that privilege up there, that right. They’ve paid for that and they’ve got a private area that allows them to do that. In a public area where I’ve got other families involved and they don’t shut their door. In the public area it’s a little more difficult and the decision is a little more difficult for me and our institution.”

The SEC limited alcohol suites exclusively to fans in luxury areas until 2019. When the stadium-wide embargo was lifted three seasons ago, UK was one of four SEC schools that decided not to change its rules.

“I’m not making a yearly decision on this thing. That’s not where we want to be,” Barnhart said in August of 2019. “…I’m not stubborn, but I’m not going to make one-off decisions. … I’m not saying we’ve got it right. I hope we’ve got it right, and we’ll monitor and see where it goes.”

Kentucky did not re-litigate the move ahead of the 2020 season where COVID-19 limited stadium capacity. Mitch Barnhart cited the many Covid complications as to why the alcohol issue was not discussed ahead of the 2021-22 season.

“We have been focused on a lot of things over the last 18 months, I’m not gonna lie to you.”

He continued: “It’s not to say never, it’s to say I’m going to spend some more time on it. I know it’s an important one and we’ll continue to look at it. For this year, we weren’t ready this year and I wasn’t ready. If that’s the case, then that’s where I am.”

A divisive topic, Mitch Barnhart reiterated that there are vocal opponents on each side of the issue. He just hopes the Big Blue Nation will not judge the athletic program’s success over one athletic department rule.

“I hope we’re evaluated over the overarching piece of everything we’ve done, not on one issue and it’s the one issue I get beat up on this a lot, from everyone.”

Barnhart closed: “It isn’t a Mitch Barnhart decision. It is a collective decision that our institution’s making.”

Barnhart’s Complete Alcohol Comments

Q: No alcohol at Kroger Field; when I talk to the average fan, that’s the thing I probably hear the most is this complaint, how is it the case that people can be in suites, buy alcohol, but me the common fan cannot?

“I’d say the depth and success of our program is strong, competitively, socially and academically. I think our coaches and student-athletes have done amazing things. I hope we’re evaluated over the overarching piece of everything we’ve done, not on one issue and it’s the one issue I get beat up on this a lot, from everyone. I know there are a lot of people upset that we have not allowed alcohol. It’s not an easy issue. There are families on both sides, I repeat families on both sides. I get emails from both sides.

“We have been focused on a lot of things over the last 18 months, I’m not gonna lie to you. I’ll tell you, January 2020, it was Covid. We canceled our basketball tournament and all of the spring sports. Then it was social justice. Then I said, ‘Can we play anything? Are we going to be able to do anything to play this fall?’ We were able to pull that off. Our finances to keep our employees, then the one-time transfer popped in there about January of last year, and then NIL came along. Then spring of last year it was balancing the budget with no fans in the stands when at one point in time last year we were facing a $50 million deficit. Then the variant came back and the question then became, can we play again? Frankly, I’ll be honest with you, that’s where our focus has been over the last 18 months. It’s not because the alcohol issue is not an important issue. We know it’s an important issue to our fans. But our focus has been on the ability to move forward through some really difficult times for our student-athletes.

“The others in our conference have begun to add it. They’ve added it and it’s come online in our league. There’s still some schools in our league who have not added it to the seating bowl. I’ve said to our staff, ‘I want to continue to evaluate it.’ I’m going to look at it. We’ll continue to look at it. I want to use some of the information from the other schools, take a look at it, get with our university administration and make an informed decision. It’s not to say never, it’s just to say I’m going to spend some more time on it. I know it’s an important one and we’ll continue to look at it. For this year, we weren’t ready this year and I wasn’t ready. If that’s the case, then that’s where I am.”

Q: What is the rationale, what is the logic for allowing rich people to have alcohol and the average fan to not?

“The suites and the clubs are private areas and they can make the decision. There’s several of our suite holders that do not have alcohol in their suites and they don’t. So that’s a private area where they have asked for that privilege up there, that right, they’ve paid for that and they’ve got a private area that allows them to do that. In a public area where I’ve got other families involved and they don’t shut their door. In the public area it’s a little more difficult and the decision is a little more difficult for me and our institution. It’s something we’ll continue to work at and we’ll continue to look at. I’m going to take the information. I’ve got some very close friends in the league that are beginning to put that into some of their areas. They’ve gone from the private suite and club areas to public access for the alcohol. We’re going to talk to them and see how it’s gone with them and take some of the lessons learned from the things they’ve put in place to continue to provide the environment for everyone as best as we possibly can. Let me be really clear, I get stuff on both sides of the conversation. It isn’t a Mitch Barnhart decision. It is a collective decision that our institution’s making.”