Jul 10, 2014 11:45 AM EDT By Russell Westerholm, UniversityHerald Reporter

Southern Methodist University (SMU) will join a small group of colleges when they begin offering beer and wine at school sporting events this upcoming academic year.

According to USA Today, the school adopted the change based on a task force's recommendation to improve attendance, the fan's experience and make more money. Before making the decision, Brad Sutton, senior associate athletic director at SMU, said the school sold alcohol in January at their basketball arena.

"The group - named 'The President's Task Force on Athletics Marketing, Attendance and Community Outreach' - considered alcohol sales ... to achieve these goals," he told USA Today.

Sutton added that January's test run was the first time SMU had ever sold alcoholic beverages at an athletic event. Previously, game attendees were permitted to tailgate in designated areas and anyone 21 years of age and older would drink at local bars.

"The sales in Moody allowed us to evaluate this decision," he says. "We were deliberate in setting the plan for Moody Coliseum, and it was safe and successful, so this process will also be carefully designed and vetted before we roll it out."

During the trial run at Moody Coliseum, game attendees were required to provide an ID to verify their age, but were also limited to three alcoholic drinks to discourage binge drinking and alcohol-related incidents. Other colleges have reported underage binge drinking stemming from pre-game activities, like tailgating, but selling alcohol in stadiums have not been associated with the same issues.

"(Fans) can purchase alcohol at other venues where many local professional sports teams play," Steven Henneberry, a University of Minnesota (UM) spokesman, told USA Today. "All policies and procedures governing alcohol sales at TCF Bank Stadium aim to balance the desires of Gopher fans, while also promoting responsible alcohol consumption."

UM began selling alcoholic beverages in TCF Bank Stadium in 2012 and the school did not see an uptick in police incidents. There were 101 such incidents on the day of a major sporting event in 2010 and 72 in 2013.

West Virginia University (WVU) also sells alcoholic beverages at their sporting events, but keeps the beer vendors away from student sections.

"There (are no) alcohol points of sale near student sections," John Bolt, a university spokesman, told USA Today. "The WVU Board of Governors approved selling beer at Milan Puskar Stadium in June 2011, so we have had three seasons of experience, and all agree that it was a good decision."

See Now: Covert Team Inside Newsweek Revealed as Key Players in False Human Trafficking Lawsuit