editorials

In some quarters, Minnesota is known as the no-fun state, where laws and regulations are as plentiful as bodies of water. The 2009 Legislature, which will be remembered for failing to meet the major challenges it faced, did manage to weigh in on one of the great issues of our time: whether beer could be sold at the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium.

The university wanted to sell alcohol in 5 percent of the stadium's seating areas -- specifically, the premium boxes and suites that will generate new income for the Athletic Department -- but not in general seating areas, which include student sections. It was a responsible approach, one that most Big Ten schools follow.

The university underestimated the reaction from two camps -- a populist faction of fans who were upset that they would not be allowed to have a beer in the common-man seats and opportunistic legislators who rode that wave of opposition.

Instead of leaving the decision in the hands of the university and Board of Regents, who are actually responsible for running the place, the Legislature passed a bill requiring that the U sell alcohol in all seating areas or not at all. That left university President Robert Bruininks in a lousy spot. If the university picked "all,'' it would become the only Big Ten school with alcohol available stadiumwide. If it chose "nothing,'' it would risk alienating premium ticket buyers who expect more privileges and are willing to pay for them, generating more revenue for the university in the process.

But those were not the only considerations. In April, a campus party in Dinkytown turned into a melee with police when out-of-control participants started a bonfire in the middle of 7th Street and tried tipping over a car, reminding many of the 2002 riot that followed the Gophers men's hockey championship.

Binge drinking is a problem on university campuses across the country, and Bruininks has to make the phone call to parents when a student dies or is seriously injured in an alcohol-related incident. His worst fear might have been a nationally televised night game at TCF Stadium, a huge win for the Gophers and an alcohol-fueled riot blamed on beer sales in the university's new campus stadium.

"We are bringing the stadium back to the University of Minnesota,'' Bruininks told the Star Tribune this month. "We're not bringing it to a professional sports venue.''

Today the Board of Regents is expected to approve Bruininks' recommendation to ban alcohol sales in the new football stadium and in premium ticket areas at Williams and Mariucci arenas.

Bruininks made the right call after being backed into a corner by our elected representatives, who have now put the university at a competitive disadvantage in the multimillion-dollar competition for disposable income in a crowded sports marketplace. It's unfortunate that administrators and regents were not allowed to look at all of the options and make the best choice for the university, its students, alumni and campus neighbors.

Based on early reviews, TCF Bank Stadium will be a stunning new home for Gophers football, and its long-term success will likely depend on the quality of the product on the field, not on the availability of beer in the stands or suites.

After all, a Rose Bowl team creates its own kind of buzz.