I love being in Ames with thousands of Iowa State fans on a fall Saturday, but I won't be making it to a game this season for the first time in a long time. Nobody want to go anymore, and it doesn't have much to do with the team. The casual new fan that has come on board in the last 8-9 years has very little interest in going to an Iowa State game these days, unfortunately. Anecdotal, but that's been my experience. I can get a handful of grads to go, but more casual fans in Des Moines would rather watch at home/at a bar.
General alcohol sales might help with casual fans. It's only a matter of time, but I wish it'd be sooner rather than later.
(Might get flamed here.)
Anecdotally, I've heard opposing fans surprised and disappointed you can't grab a beer inside JTS on plenty of occasions. My family from Minnesota, for example, can't wrap their heads around not being allowed to grab a beer at the game. If you've ever been to a Vikings or Gophers game, i can see why you would think it's just silly to even debate it, and I think it makes us look idk small time or maybe prudish, Idk.
Those are probably bad ways to describe it, but I think it's just an unnecessary impedment to many who arent die hards like us. I just think we're past that purity argument in 2022 with NIL, legalized sports betting, beefed up tailgating etc. We've all heard the whole family atmosphere argument, but I really don't think that holds water when you can openly carry beers everywhere outside and even drink up to the gate.
By no means do I mean to imply it's a hill to die on, but I think a tipping point was reached at some point recently where it's more trouble than its worth to hold off general sales, rather than the other way around which I can see why it may have been in the past.