At some universities, athletic venues are the big draw for beverage companies, for example, football stadiums that seat 70,000 or 100,000 and sell out regularly, or a 20,000-seat arena used heavily by athletic programs and national musical performers. Madden said Iowa State's trump card is its large residence system, where more than 8,500 students eat three meals daily. Madden said schools tend to use their soft drink revenues for student-centered services and programs, including scholarships, diversity efforts and, occasionally, facility improvements that benefit students. If Iowa State opted for a campus-wide contract, a university group would develop a plan for using the contract revenues. Beverage contracts, regardless of the exclusivity level, in no way affect employees and students' freedom to carry and keep their favorite sodas on campus, Madden said.
Employees can stock the brands they like in office refrigerators.
He noted that with current grocery store prices, this practice appears to be increasing. The consultant and Arlo Meyer, ISU purchasing and chair of the ad hoc committee, interviewed several faculty, staff and student group representatives this fall. Madden said the campus community is divided on the idea of exclusivity. Some are concerned about a lack of brand choices on campus. Madden said he thinks an ISU beverage contract, if it happened, would stop short of total exclusivity.