OU may be applying to serve liquor at sports arenas, city officials say.
Sipping on beer and wine at Peden Stadium and The Convo could soon be a reality — given you’re a dues-paying member to the Bobcat Club Annual Fund.
Ohio University has two liquor license requests in the works, city officials said their council meeting Tuesday night. If approved, these licenses would allow the sale of alcoholic beverages at both sporting venues during their respective events, though sales would be limited to restricted locations in each stadium.
City officials were notified of the university’s wishes in a letter from OU Athletic Director Jim Schaus, dated Aug. 22.
It’s “very common practice” in the Mid-American Conference to have beer and wine available “in restricted, monitored donor hospitality areas,” Schaus said in a written statement to The Post. He added that OU started serving alcohol at the end of last year’s basketball season in the Rohr Room.
City Council President Jim Sands emphasized that the plans would not allow for the sale of alcoholic beverages to general spectators.
Councilwoman Chris Knisely, D-at large, said that the sale of alcoholic beverages would be limited to those in the Rohr Room at The Convo, as well as the third and fourth floors of the Tower Club at Peden Stadium.
The Rohr Room is only accessible to spectators who have donated $750 to the Bobcat Club Fund, while the Tower Club is accessible to those who donate $250.
The Post reported in Spring of 2012 that OU was considering the exact same scenario: beer and wine being made available to dues-paying members, after several years of donor requests. Alcohol sales were set to begin in Fall or Winter of 2012, though plans did not stick.
The university will have to apply for the licenses through the Ohio Division of Liquor Control, Knisely said.
Also at the meeting, council members voted unanimously to create a position in the city’s law department office to ease the transition between Law Director Pat Lang and his successor when he leaves office Lang is currently running unopposed for the Athens County Common Pleas Court Judge position.
The new role was given to Matt Ward, currently an assistant prosecutor with the Athens County Prosecutor’s office.
Ward will now be handling civil offense cases with the city, though this is subject to change when a new city law director is appointed, Lang said.
Because there is currently an unfilled internship position with the city, council members said they were able to allocate funds in the budget to finance Ward’s new role.
— Emma Ockerman and Chad Lindskog contributed to this report.
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