The Northwest Board of Regents approved to amend the Alcohol of University Property Policy to allow alcohol to be sold at athletic events on campus, during its meeting Dec. 11.
Director of Athletics Andy Peterson presented this proposal. The amendment will allow for anyone who can legally drink to purchase alcohol at concession stands before and during games. He said this update would specifically be present in Bearcat Stadium and the Bearcat Arena.
“The implementation, I think, is fairly simple,” Peterson said. “It’s not going to cost us a ton of money to pilot this or to enact it. We have the spaces in the stadium to do so we got to get a little creative, probably, with Bearcat Arena. I think the intent of this today, with this policy, is to allow you folks to discuss it, and if you approve it, we would put this into play for next fall with football.”
Peterson said this idea was brought up by many fans and alumni so they may enjoy the amenity at the events they attend. He said he understands the stigma around alcohol being available at athletic events.
“I believe…the data would show in the last few years — many years — that (the stigma is) a little bit unwarranted in terms of policing, citations, arrests and those sorts of things,” Peterson said.
Peterson said along with Northwest, there are only two other Division II football playing schools that do not sell alcohol at athletic events; Missouri Southern State University and the University of Nebraska Kearney.
Regent Jason Klindt said large schools that allow alcohol at sporting events have not seen a negative impact, but a positive one. He said among discussion regarding this policy, prior to the Board of Regents Meeting, a large topic was the culture that surrounds allowing alcohol at on-campus sporting events.
“They (other schools) have not seen a large amount of arrests,” Klindt said. “You showed data from big 10 and big 12 schools showing that it actually had the opposite effect. There was actually less arrests because it’s not incentivising folks to go out and drink too much before they come into the game.”
Chair of the Board Mel Tjeerdsma said he appreciates the comparison brought to attention of other universities in regards to this police change.
He said if this was proposed 10 years prior, he likely would have said “No,” however, the discussion around the topic is changing.
“Personally, I would favor it,” Tjeerdsma said. “I think it’s something that we have to keep up with.”
The vote was approved 6-1, with Regent Steve Black opposing the amendment.
Also discussed during the meeting is a change coming to Northwest leadership. University President Lance Tatum said in his report that Vice President of Student Affairs Matt Baker will be leaving Northwest to begin his new role at Emporia State University as its University President. Baker officially takes office March 2, 2026.
“I know Matt is going to do an incredible job because there’s one thing about Matt Baker that I have learned in the two and a half years that I’ve been here…Matt loves people, and people are deeply important to him,” Tatum said.
Tatum said a search to fill the position will begin at the beginning of the 2026 spring semester.
Also during his report, Tatum said the Fiscal Year 2027 budget is being built, with which the funds are not expanding. In June 2025, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe vetoed nearly $14,000 million of budget from higher education. Tatum said it is unlikely the 2027 budget will be positive.
“We are building our FY 27 budgets on two scenarios — one is no increase from the state, the second is a 5% decrease from this current year to next year, just so that we are as conservative as we can be on our projections,” Tatum said.
Other Board of Regents Business:
- University Police Chief Amanda Cullin recognized UPD Lt. Marcus Holmes for his response during a medical call in Franken Hall. Cullin said freshman Isabel Thomas had a stroke Nov. 17, and when Residential Life staff recognized this, they called the UPD. Upon UPD’s arrival, Thomas was not breathing and had no pulse. Cullin said Holmes performed life saving CPR on Thomas, who is now doing well and recovering at home. Cullin presented a Challenge Coin to the Residential Life staff for the work they did during the situation.
- Chapter two of the Faculty Handbook was revised to stay accurate with the recent academic restructuring.
- During the University Advancement report, it was stated that $2,040,631 have been fundraised since July 1 for the University. The fundraising goal for the 2025-26 school year is $6.5 million.