Colleges Use Breath Tests to Curb Rowdy Behavior at Football Games

The University of Wisconsin and the University of Minnesota are requiring season-ticket holders with a history of alcohol offenses to submit to game-day breath tests in order to attend future football games, the New York Times reported Nov. 19.

Under Minnesota’s Check BAC program, student season-ticket holders who previously have been ejected from games for alcohol offenses must meet with a counselor and then submit to Breathalyzer tests to attend any future games. Students under age 21 must blow a 0.00 BAC to gain admission, while those over age 21 must be under the legal intoxication standard of 0.08 percent to be able to attend games.

No alcohol is sold insider TCF Bank Stadium, home of the Golden Gophers.

Past alcohol offenders who fail breath tests, or are found to have entered the stadium without taking a test, lose their season tickets.

The Minnesota program is based on Wisconsin’s Show and Blow initiative.