No Beer To Be Sold During TU Home Football Games

The TU Golden Hurricane kicks off its season Thursday evening. <br/><br/>Sound system checks have Skelly Stadium abuzz, football players are having their final team meetings and concession stands are

Wednesday, August 30th 2006, 6:10 am

By: News On 6

The TU Golden Hurricane kicks off its season Thursday evening.

Sound system checks have Skelly Stadium abuzz, football players are having their final team meetings and concession stands are being stocked, but without one beverage.

News on 6 anchor Terry Hood explains why the school now says beer and football isn't a winning combination.

The University of Tulsa announced over the weekend that vendors inside Skelly Stadium would be able to sell beer for the first time in 10 years. Now, the beer ban is back.

The school called beer vendors Wednesday morning, telling them they changed their minds. TU said beer sales in the stadium became a distraction. The school admits it will lose revenue. Each 16-ounce cup of beer would have sold for $4. Bars and restaurants along 11th Street will still sell beer, as will vendors just outside the stadium.

TU hopes fans were coming to Thursday's kick-off for what's happening on the field, not what's coming out of the tap. Don Tomkalski with TUâ€™s athletic department: " We average over 33 points a game last year at home. Since Coach Kragthorpe has been here, in the 17 home games, we've averaged over 30 points; it's an exciting brand of football. We hope they're coming for that, whether they serve beer inside or out."

Three other teams in TU's conference, Conference USA, sell beer in the stands.