The NCAA News - News and Features

October 6, 1997

Grants continued at TEAM institutions

The Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition is sponsoring a second year of funding for Colorado State University; the University of Northern Michigan; Stanford University; and Texas A&M University, Kingsville, as a follow-up to a pilot grant program on facility alcohol management that was initiated in 1995-96.

TEAM is a nonprofit organization launched in 1985 by the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration and sports team owners, operators, concessionaires and facility managers. Its purpose is to address the increasing concerns about the misuse of alcohol at stadiums and arenas and the effect of that misuse on public safety.

The facility alcohol management program (FAM) has been responsible for training more than 50,000 public assembly facility employees at more than 150 stadiums, arenas and ballparks in North America, Australia and New Zealand.

The first year of the grant program provided the participating institutions the opportunity to undergo an on-site assessment process, develop or refine written alcohol-management policies and procedures for athletics events, and implement the program at events.

In the first year, the institutions increased policy signage, instituted written alcohol procedures, trained facility personnel to spot intoxicated individuals, increased security in tailgating areas and provided safe transportation alternatives for students, fans and alumni.

The second year will focus on refinement of game-day staff training and the marketing of the program to the university community, alumni and the public at large.

All four institutions have outlined implementation plans, including videos, promotional activities and campus-wide alcohol policies.

"We want to be proactive," said Dianne Brown, director of Texas A&M-Kingsville's Center for Life Services and Wellness. "We do want to reduce our liability, but more importantly, we want to create an environment where families can feel welcome and students will be safe."