Responsible Fans at the 2018 NCAA FCS Championship

01/07/2018

TEAM Coalition traveled to Frisco, TX for the 2018 NCAA Division I Football Championship on January 6, 2018 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 North Dakota State Bison take on the James Madison Dukes. NDSU defeated JMU for its sixth FCS title. Before the game, more than 200 fans from both schools made the responsibility pledge while enjoying the pre-game festivities at Tailgate Town.

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NCAA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 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 Collegiate Athletic Association, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, NASCAR, National Basketball Association, National Football League, National Hockey League, Americrown, Aramark, Delaware North Sportservice, Legends, Spectra, Beer Institute, National Beer Wholesalers Association, Anheuser-Busch Companies, Constellation Brands, HEINEKEN USA, MillerCoors, Brown-Forman, Live Nation, National Association of Broadcasters, Contemporary Services Corporation, International Association of Venue Managers and Stadium Managers Association. For more information visit www.TEAMCoalition.org or www.FansDontLetFansDriveDrunk.org.
US DOT / NHTSA 2016 NATIONAL DATA:

• In 2016, 10,497 people were killed as a result of alcohol-related (BAC > 0.08) car crashes, an increase of 1.7% from the 10,265 fatalities in 2015.

• 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.