Nebraska Board of Regents set to add alcohol sales to Haymarket Park
When the Nebraska baseball team takes the field against Maryland a week from tonight, for the first time, you should be able to enjoy a beer at Haymarket Park.
The Nebraska Board of Regents will vote on beer sales at Haymarket Park at its Apr. 19 meeting in Lincoln.
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“This is a win for our fans, Husker Athletics and the University of Nebraska,” athletic director Troy Dannen said in a statement. “Not only does this added fan amenity bring Nebraska in line with national trends, but it gives us an opportunity to make much-needed investments that will make our facilities more competitive. All of us at Husker Athletics thank Jack and Jim Abel and the NEBCO team for their support and partnership and look forward to continuing our strong working relationship.”
Since 2021, it’s been a slow climb to allow alcohol sales at University of Nebraska sporting events. The Garth Brooks concert in Memorial Stadium on Aug. 15 was the event that got the ball rolling.
Over 90,000 people filled Memorial Stadium, and beer sales were allowed at the event. The Big Ten Wrestling tournament in 2022 was the first Husker-hosted event at Pinnacle Bank Arena, where alcohol sales were allowed.
Then, in September 2022, the Board of Regents announced alcohol sales at Pinnacle Bank Arena for Nebraska men’s and women’s basketball games. For the last two seasons, beer and alcohol sales have been allowed at basketball games.
In August of 2023, the famed Volleyball Day in Nebraska was the first on-campus sporting event where alcohol sales were allowed, as a women’s sports world record crowd of 92,003 filled Memorial Stadium.
Now, with baseball and softball games allowing alcohol sales, one has to think Memorial Stadium, in some capacity, is next.
From 1999 to 2007, suite holders could bring alcohol into their skyboxes for Husker football games. Alcohol has not been allowed for football games, including in the suite and club areas, since the 2008 season.
Alcohol at Haymarket is a fan amenity and not a revenue stream
It often gets confused on the financial impact alcohol sales might have at Husker events. In reality, alcohol sales at Pinnacle Bank Arena and Haymarket Park should be considered more of a fan amenity than a revenue stream.
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Like NU’s agreement with Pinnacle Bank Arena, the NEBCO organization in Lincoln, owned by the Abel family, receives all the concession revenue at Haymarket Park. Nebraska then gets free use of the facility and all ticket revenues.
When PBA added alcohol sales in 2022, the two sides agreed to a 90-10 split since it was a new concession revenue stream. It was reported that former AD Trev Alberts was seeking a 50-50 split at Haymarket Park on alcohol sales, where NEBCO wanted something similar to what Pinnacle Bank Arena had since their agreement entitled them to all concession revenues.
It appears that over the last week, after now-departed Athletic Department CFO Doug Ewald discussed the University’s negotiations with the Abel family both on the Doc Talk podcast and in a front-page article of the Omaha World-Herald, Dannen, and the University have quickly moved to resolve this issue.
Ewald also left his position at the University on Monday, and he had previously been the primary point person in the negotiations with NEBCO.
Beer sales at Nebraska baseball games could be a small six-figure revenue stream. Between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023, Nebraska generated $204,831,356 in revenue.
Go Big Facility to carry Osborne’s name
The Regents will also vote to approve to put Tom Osborne’s name on the new Go Big Facility.
The project is in its final months of completion and will carry the name the “Osborne Legacy Complex.”
The $165 million Go Big Facility started work in 2021 and has taken nearly a year longer to complete than originally anticipated due to modifications made to the original plans and supply chain issues.
