Fresno State weighs alcohol-sales rule changes at football games after Saturday night fights
Fresno State will consider amending policies on alcohol sales at football games after a wild Saturday night that included three alcohol-fueled fights and five arrests.
Under consideration in the aftermath of the scenes in the stands during the Bulldogs’ 40-14 loss to Boise State, the first sellout at Bulldog Stadium since 2014: Limiting the number of locations alcohol is sold and halting sales earlier than the current cutoff at the end of the third quarter.
“This was a very unfortunate incident and one we are taking very seriously,” athletics director Terry Tumey and vice president for administration and chief financial officer Debbie Adishian-Astone said in a joint statement.
“We regret that this situation occurred as it impacts the game experience and family-friendly atmosphere for our loyal Red Wave fans. Fortunately, our Fresno State police officers responded immediately along with support from other local law enforcement agencies.
“This type of fan behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated. Our Public Safety team together with our athletic department personnel will ensure that we have additional security measures in place for this week’s final home game, including modification of our alcohol sales operations. Consideration is being given to reducing time for alcohol sales and fewer purchase locations.”
The Bulldogs close the home schedule Saturday afternoon against New Mexico on Senior Day.
The California State University system in 2017 issued an executive order allowing its 23 campuses to reinstate the sale of alcohol at university-sponsored athletic events, which had been banned since 2006. Alcoholic beverages have been sold at Fresno State football, baseball and softball games since then, without many issues.
Save Mart Center, home to the basketball teams and other sports, is not a state facility and has been able to sell alcohol since it opened in 2003.
The CSU policy on alcoholic beverage sales, service and advertising delegates authority to each campus president to permit the sale of alcoholic beverages at university-sponsored athletics events.
The fights during the game against Boise State broke out in the north end of Bulldog Stadium, with one spilling out of the stands and onto the field level. Several of the incidents were captured on video by fans, some of whom ended up getting pulled into the middle of the altercations.
One security guard attempting to break things up also was punched a number of times.
All of the incidents were alcohol-related, according to Fresno State Police Sgt. Carlos Frausto, who is the officer in charge during football games.
Among the arrests, one was on a felony charge. The others were for public intoxication.
“During the course of that disturbance, one of the subjects that was fighting was being taken into custody by a Fresno Police officer and the father of the individual that was being taken into custody pulled that officer away from his son, impeding the officer’s efforts to arrest this individual,” Frausto said after the game.
“He was arrested as a result of that. The father of the original person involved in the fight, he was arrested for impeding a police officer during the performance of his duties, which is a felony.”
Richard Corey Huizar of Madera told The Bee on Sunday that he was helping pull someone away from the guard when he got caught up in the fight. Huizar said he was not arrested but his dad was when he became upset “because (he thought) they were arresting me.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2021 at 7:10 PM.