Responsible Fans at the NCAA FCS Championship

01/12/2015

TEAM (Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management) Coalition traveled to Frisco, TX for the 2015 NCAA Division I Football Championship on January 10, 2015 to reward fans who made the Responsibility Has Its Rewards pledge to:

• Always Buckle Up – Every Trip, Every Time
• Never Drive Drunk
• Always Have a Designated Driver
• Never Provide Alcohol to Anyone Under 21

Fans from all over the country gathered at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX to watch the Illinois State University Redbirds take on the North Dakota State University Bison. NDSU won a record fourth-straight title by retaking the lead late in the fourth quarter and winning the game in dramatic fashion. 112 fans from both schools took time to make the responsibility pledge while enjoying the pre-game festivities at Tailgate Town before the big game.

FCS Fans 2015-01-10 07-57-25AM
FCS Fans 2015-01-10 08-50-05AM
FCS Fans 2015-01-10 09-44-52AM
FCS Fans 2015-01-10 10-16-31AM

The NCAA and TEAM Coalition partnered to promote responsible drinking at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, TX, encouraging fans to never drive drunk if they were over 21 or to buckle up – every trip, every time – if they were under 21.

The TEAM Coalition effort to contribute to a safe and exciting fan experience benefits us all – the fans, players and sports leagues alike. TEAM recognizes that most fans come out to enjoy the thrill of the competition, and that irresponsible alcohol use can detract from that experience. By engaging us all in this effort, and rewarding positive fan behavior, TEAM scores!

Mary Wilfert, Associate Director of Education Outreach, National Collegiate Athletic Association
NCAA
For more information, see NCAA.org.
TEAM Coalition
TEAM Coalition is an alliance of professional and collegiate sports, entertainment facilities, concessionaires, stadium service providers, the beer industry, distillers, broadcasters, traffic safety experts and others working together to promote responsible drinking and positive fan behavior at sports and entertainment facilities. TEAM Coalition members and supporters include National Football League, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League, National Collegiate Athletic Association, Aramark, Delaware North Companies – Sportservice, Ovations Food Services, Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Anheuser-Busch Companies, MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, Live Nation, National Association of Broadcasters, Contemporary Services Corporation, Elite, International Association of Venue Managers, Stadium Managers Association and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. For more information visit www.TEAMCoalition.org or www.FansDontLetFansDriveDrunk.org.
US DOT / NHTSA 2013 NATIONAL DATA:

• In 2013, 10,076 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related (BAC > 0.08) car crashes, a decrease of 2.4% from the 10,322 fatalities in 2012.

• Many, if not most of those lives would have been saved if people did not drive when they were impaired by alcohol or if they used sober, designated drivers or if they simply wore their seat belts.

• Statistics and research clearly show that 21-34 year old males are the demographic most likely to be involved in an automobile crash, drive when impaired by alcohol, and fail to buckle up.