Neyland Stadium beer sales fate decided. What it means for Tennessee football fans in 2023

Beer will be back.

The city of Knoxville and Neyland Stadium's beer vendor have agreed to terms that will allow beer to be sold next season at all Tennessee football games.

Aramark, the vendor, was the subject of intense scrutiny by the city, which claimed Neyland Stadium was operated in a "disorderly" manner − and that the company was to blame. The dispute stems from alcohol sales to three underage adults who were covertly working for the Knoxville Police Department.

The city wanted Aramark's massive stadium operation treated the same as city bars that get caught selling to underage patrons.

Aramark has agreed to:

• Train all new and returning employees
• Donate $30,000 to the nonprofit Metro Drug Council
• Pay a $4,500 fine and $700 in administrative costs
• Only official Aramark employees can check IDs this season, and they must ask every customer to show one

Volunteers working with nonprofits and charitable organizations have been able to sell beer at Neyland Stadium since 2021 when Knoxville City Council passed an ordinance allowing it.

This ordinance is limited to "large capacity venues."

Knox News contacted Aramark, which declined to comment about its agreement with the city and whether volunteers will be working beer stands at all next season.

A strong stance on concessions stands at Neyland

Millions of dollars were at stake. Alcohol sales generated $2.67 million in revenue in the 2021 season, which was split 50/50 between the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Aramark.

The city targeted Aramark's beer permits, seeking (at minimum) a three-game suspension of beer sales.

The city went a step further, seeking to revoke Aramark's beer sales permit completely if the "disorderly" argument was proven. Aramark objected to the city's stance, which relied on University of Tennessee Police Department crime logs.

While these crime logs did show a pattern of public intoxication at Neyland Stadium, a Knox News examination of incidents dating back to 2015 showed this pattern existed before beer sales began in 2019.

In fact, incidents per 100,000 people − roughly the capacity of Neyland Stadium − dropped the first year with beer sales, remained steady the following year and was consistent in 2021 with years when beer was not sold.

What Neyland beer decision means for Vols fans

Beer will be available at Neyland Stadium during the 2023 season. Since Aramark employees will be checking every ID, don't forget yours at home.

Checking all those IDs will take time, so get in line early!

Tennessee football's home schedule kicks off Sept. 9 with a game against Austin Peay. Neyland Stadium also will host SEC rivals South Carolina, Texas A&M, Georgia and Vanderbilt in 2023.

What happened in the Neyland beer case?

A preliminary decision from hearing officer Loretta Cravens, a local attorney overseeing the city's case against Aramark, was expected by the end of 2022 but didn't come.

That decision would have considered whether Aramark's motion to strike part of the city's argument, including the crime logs, was valid.

Cravens then would have set a date for a suspension hearing, which is required for any bar that has three underage violations in a two-year period. But with roughly 160 points of sale on any given game day, Neyland Stadium is more than a bar.

Instead, the parties settled.

Aramark allowed to start fresh at Neyland

Any new underage violation that occurs at Neyland Stadium will be treated like it's the first, which contradicts part of the city's original argument.

In that argument, the city referenced violations from previous years that, essentially, were absolved.

Seven underage violations happened at a 2019 Garth Brooks concert, and two more happened in 2021. However, Aramark's slate was wiped clean because it applied and received new permits in 2020 and 2022 − the first due to a change in SEC rules and the second due to "an expansion of the premises."

A history of beer sales at Neyland Stadium

• 2019: Changes in state legislation and SEC rules allow alcohol to be sold at Neyland Stadium.
• November 2019: Seven underage sales happen during a Garth Brooks concert at Neyland Stadium.
• June 2020: Aramark applies for a new beer permit at Neyland Stadium, citing a change in SEC rules. Essentially, Aramark's slate is wiped clean.
• Fall 2021: Aramark has two more underage violations take place at Neyland Stadium.
• July 2022: Aramark again applies for a new beer permit, citing "an expansion of the premises." Again, its slate is wiped clean.
• Fall 2022: Three more underage sales happen at Neyland Stadium during games against Akron, Florida and Alabama.
• October 2022: The city files a noncompliance complaint seeking to suspend or revoke Aramark's permits at Neyland Stadium.
• November 2022: Aramark responds to the city and seeks to strike portions of its argument.
• December 2022: A motion to strike meeting is held, but no decision is made.
• Feb. 14, 2023: An agreement is filed with the city of Knoxville that will allow beer sales to continue.

Ryan Wilusz, downtown reporter for Knox News, can be reached at 865-317-5138 or at ryan.wilusz@knoxnews.com. Follow him on Instagram @knoxscruff.