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The UW Regents unanimously approved the Pouring Rights agreement Friday. It will be in addition to the $130,000 UW-L annually receives for Pepsi vending machine sales on campus.
The new money from Pepsi-Cola of La Crosse will go into a Campus Community Enrichment fund, managed by students and administration, and will be allocated to projects to improve the campus environment, said UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow.
“Perhaps one project a year will have the money devoted to it in order to receive maximum impact,” Gow said.
The UW-La Crosse Foundation and others initially planned on using the money to help finance construction of a new stadium, but students said they thought the $2.5 million they will contribute to the stadium over several years was sufficient, Gow said. Instead, rain gardens and other ecologically friendly projects or, adding Braille to more signage to increase accessibility, might be among the first ideas considered for funding, Gow said.
Student Association President Fred Ludwig told a Regent committee Thursday that UW-L students support the Pepsi agreement, said Regent Elizabeth Burmaster. Efforts to contact Ludwig on Friday were unsuccessful.
Several UW campuses have such merchandising agreements, said Rich Lampe, a UW System procurement specialist.
UW-La Crosse collects 20 percent “consideration” of the revenue vendors make on coffee, general merchandise and snack sales, said Lampe.
Although health concerns have made exclusive soft drink contracts less popular with public school districts in recent years, that didn’t factor into contract discussions with Pepsi said Gow.
“I’m not a soda drinker myself, I gave it up years ago, but I realize college students love their soft drinks, and bottled water, juices and other drinks will continue to be available,” he said.
The Pepsi pact isn’t an exclusive agreement, as Coke products still will be available at the Badger St. Station, an on-campus convenience store, and caterers using the dinning halls for special events wouldn’t be limited to Pepsi products, Lampe said.
Pepsi Sales Manager Steve Berg said UW-La Crosse is one of the locally owned bottler’s biggest customers.
“We put a significant investment offer together, and we really want to be a part of the university forever,” Berg said.
But don’t expect to see Pepsi promotional material all over campus, Berg said, as the new agreement doesn’t address signage.
