Coming this fall, K-State will sell alcohol throughout Bill Snyder Family Stadium
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- K‑State will sell beer, seltzers, cocktails, and wine throughout Bill Snyder Stadium.
- Athletic director Gene Taylor announced the stadium-wide alcohol policy change Thursday.
- University expects alcohol sales to boost revenue and keep more fans in their seats.
After years of debate, Kansas State will this fall begin selling alcohol throughout Bill Snyder Family Stadium during the Wildcats’ home football games in Manhattan.
The decision was announced Thursday afternoon by K-State athletic director Gene Taylor. It comes nine years after Taylor said he’d never change the Wildcats’ policy on alcohol sales within the venue’s general seating areas.
In a news release put out by the school, KSU officials said they reversed course after years of “careful research” and experimentation at other on-campus venues. And alcohol sales at college football games is becoming more commonplace nationwide.
In the release, Taylor indicated a belief that selling alcohol — defined here as cocktails, beer, seltzers and wine — throughout Bill Snyder Family Stadium will improve the overall fan experience.
The extra revenue won’t hurt, either.
“We always want to keep our student-athletes and fans at the forefront of every decision we make, and that was the driver in this decision as well,” Taylor said in a statement. “While it will provide our department with additional revenue during this new era of collegiate athletics, it will also be a key piece in maintaining a competitive advantage by keeping more fans in their seats throughout the entirety of games.
“This is a big decision, and we will be prepared to adjust as we see fit in future seasons.”
The sales of alcohol throughout BSFS will begin with the Wildcats’ season opener against Nicholls State on Sept. 5. Fans will be able to purchase alcoholic beverages at various locations throughout the stadium and take them back to their seats.
Previously, alcohol was only available for purchase and consumption in the beer gardens on the North and South Goss Family Tailgate Terraces (West Stadium Center) and the Jose Cuervo Powercat Porch (in the southeast corner of the stadium). Those locations will remain open, too.
In a new Q&A on the K-State Athletics X account, Taylor lauded the Wildcats’ tailgating tradition but noted the university has struggled to get fans who leave the stadium at halftime (often to grab a beverage) to come back inside for the third quarter.
School officials are leaning into the idea that the policy change announced Thursday will help solve at least some of that problem — although fans will still be able to leave and return.
There are some important restrictions in the school’s new alcohol policy: alcohol sales will be limited to fans 21 and up; fans can only buy two drinks at a time; and all alcohol sales will end at the end of the third quarter.
Whether the long-awaited change delivers the desired boosts in attendance, atmosphere and revenue remains to be seen, but after years of conversation, fans can count on game days at Bill Snyder Family Stadium looking a little different this fall.
This story was originally published July 16, 2026 at 3:56 PM.
