Source: Chancellor wants more information on beer sales
The Texas chancellor's office wants more information about the athletic department's desire to start selling beer and wine at sporting events - delaying the intended launch of alcoholic beverage sales at games this week, a source close to the situation told Orangebloods.com Wednesday.
UT athletics had sent internal memos outlining its desire to begin selling beer and wine as part of a "soft launch" at the Texas women's basketball game against TCU on Tuesday, a source told OB earlier in the week.
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But Texas chancellor Francisco Cigarroa wanted more details about what he considers a "pilot program" involving beer and wine sales, a source close told OB on Wednesday.
Cigarroa wanted to know what criteria needed to be met for the sales to be considered a success; if more security at athletic events would be needed; and how the sales at each event would be handled, the source said.
Orangebloods.com reported Tuesday that Texas athletics had planned to launch beer sales beginning this week that would include men's and women's basketball, baseball, softball, the Texas Relays March 26-29 and the Texas spring football game April 19.
If all went well this spring, the sales would extend to Texas football games in the fall, OB reported.
Orangebloods was told Wednesday evening Cigarroa wasn't necessarily opposed to the idea of beer and wine sales at athletic events, he just wanted more information.
So the athletic director's office spent Wednesday afternoon compiling those details and sending them over to the chancellor's office, a source told OB.
Cigarroa, a transplant surgeon, was traveling in South Texas on Wednesday, so beer and wine sales will be put on hold until the chancellor has a chance to review the information, the source said.
Approval for beer and wine sales could come in a few days, the source said, thus delaying the launch until next week.