In college stadiums around the country, football games this fall have looked a little different than they used to, thanks to the influx of cash in college sports and the priorities of the affluent sports fan.
There has been an explosion of money in college sports in recent years. Athletic department revenue reached nearly $12 billion in 2024, according to the Knight-Newhouse College Athletics Database. Around $931 million of that came, in part, from concession sales.
Realizing how much income these higher-quality bites can generate, many schools have partnered with outside firms to jazz up their concession offerings and add a touch of luxury to the gameday experience.
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Arizona State University, the University of Texas, Stanford University, and Michigan State University are among the dozens of institutions that are currently in partnerships with outside vendors, according to Bloomberg.
Some 25 years ago, when Adam Ali was attending ASU football games as a freshman, the concessions were nothing to write home about. "Just regular hot dogs, hamburgers, nachos, popcorn," he told Bloomberg. "Nothing crazy. And no alcohol."
Now, the real estate photographer says he and his wife can drop anywhere from $60 to $100 on food and beer at a game, thanks to the stadium's more elevated offerings like pulled-pork sandwiches and birria tacos.
Fans who are willing to spend even more on an ASU experience can shell out $20,000 for a four-person box where they're served fare like prime rib and spicy margaritas.
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The University of Nebraska has also upgraded its concessions. This year, the school started selling alcohol at sporting events, including a branded craft beer called Cornhusker Crusher. Troy Dannen, the university's athletic director, told Bloomberg he expects the change to bring in as much as $5 million a year.
"Today's fans expect more than a hot dog and a soda," Kate Thompson, vice president of marketing at events company Sodexo Live!, which has partnered with multiple colleges across the country, including the University of Michigan, told Bloomberg. "Universities view hospitality not only as a service, but as a strategic driver of revenue and brand differentiation."
It may seem over-the-top, but a survey by PwC found that affluent fans are more than willing to spend big on premium experiences. For sporting events that offer luxury hospitality, like VIP seating, catering, or meet-and-greet opportunities, 42% of fans say they would spend over $250 on a ticket, and 25% say they would spend more than $500.
"The results are clear: Premium fans expect more, spend more and present a significant opportunity for franchises that can deliver differentiated, tailored experiences," PwC said of the survey.
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Affluent fans' willingness to spend has been a godsend for cash-strapped schools.
In June, a federal court in California approved an agreement to settle a class action lawsuit to pave the way for schools to pay their student-athletes. This ruling left many of the country's largest colleges and universities facing the reality that they‘d soon be parting with a large portion of their budgets in order to cut those checks.
"We're looking for any creative nugget [to bring in money]," Ohio State University Athletic Director Ross Bjork told Bloomberg in a separate report. So far, this has included behind-the-scenes stadium tours, a golf partnership that allows fans to tee off from the top of the stadium, and a brand partnership with Evan Williams bourbon.
For their part, those premium fans are perfectly happy to be pandered to.
Danixa Lopez, an ASU fan who's been attending games for the last six seasons, says she loves the upgrades at the football stadium. "They get creative," she told Bloomberg, making the cost of tickets well worth it.
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