St. Thomas adds beer sales for all at new arena. Can that draw crowds?

Previously, alcohol was only available in premium areas of the arena.

The move comes near the close of Year 1 for the new St. Paul arena, which hasn’t produced massive attendance figures.

There have certainly been examples of how packed the Tommies’ new arena can be — with announced attendances of 4,325 for the St. Thomas men’s hockey team’s first game at the new arena in October and 5,325 for the men’s basketball game against former Division-III rival St. John’s in December.

But those numbers dipped to 2,787 for the men’s hockey game against Michigan Tech on Jan. 31 and 2,612 for the men’s basketball game against Oral Roberts on Feb. 7.

Those numbers have reflected the norms this season, despite the success of both men’s programs. The men’s hockey team is currently in second place in the CCHA, the same spot the basketball team holds in the Summit League.

Perhaps alcohol availability will provide a shot in the arm for the school’s athletic attendance over the next couple weeks. The men’s hockey team hosts Augustana this weekend in a series with massive conference title implications, while the men’s basketball team hosts first-place North Dakota State on Feb. 26.

The women’s basketball team will honor head coach Ruth Sinn during the final home game of her career on Feb. 25.