FARGO - Bison football fans might get to drink alcohol in their seats at the Fargodome after all, instead of being relegated to a beer garden as earlier proposed.

Just one catch: There could be a two-beer limit.

Mayor Tim Mahoney said Wednesday he has discussed with North Dakota State University President Dean Bresciani a plan pairing beer sales throughout most of the stadium with a limit on the number of drinks. He said he expects the city-owned Fargodome to consider that option among others for alcohol service during games.

Though alcohol is sold at many other events in the dome, it's always been off-limits at Bison games.

But in a plan first floated in late June, city and school officials have been discussing how to possibly sell alcohol at NDSU football games as soon as this fall.

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An initial proposal that would have only allowed alcohol in the dome's private suites, which are mostly rented by area businesses, was criticized by city commissioners as unfair to the rest of the ticketholders among the Bison's sellout crowds of 19,000-plus.

Last week, the Fargo Dome Authority, the city panel that oversees the stadium, signed off a plan that would allow alcohol sales in the suites and a beer garden open to anyone of legal age.

With the first Bison football home game a little more than a month away on Sept. 12, city commissioners, who have the final say on Fargodome policies, are taking a look at even wider alcohol sales, despite concerns from others involved.

Bresciani was not available for comment, but Athletics Director Matt Larsen, the designated NDSU spokesman on this matter, said he hadn't heard about any talk of alcohol in the stands.

Neither had John Q. Paulsen, chairman of the Fargodome Authority board, who said that, when he talked with Bresciani months ago, the president opposed alcohol in the stands.

Any change in the alcohol sales policy for Bison games will have to be approved by both NDSU and the City Commission.

"My personal opinion is, I don't think we should have alcohol sales in the stands," Larsen said. "Our game atmosphere is one of the best in the country. I want to make sure we maintain that atmosphere."

He said he favors cutting off sales at halftime or at the start of the third quarter, but he would defer policy decisions to the Fargodome.

NDSU has a say in the matter because changing the alcohol policy would change the university's contract with the Fargodome. But university officials have said they would not oppose whatever change the city makes.

Paulsen said the last discussion he had was at the end of July when the Fargodome board agreed to allow alcohol in a beer garden and in private suites. He said he is against alcohol in the stands because it might make parents uncomfortable about taking children to games.

Mahoney said he doesn't see how it can be a problem. Alcohol is allowed in the stands at Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks baseball games, which many consider to be family events, and it's gone well, he said.

The Alerus Center in Grand Forks, home to the University of North Dakota football team, tried the beer garden at one point and found it so cumbersome that beer is now allowed in the stands, he said.

Mahoney added that he wouldn't want alcohol to be allowed in the student section, however, for fear that students who are of age will just buy beer for younger students.

Commissioners are expected to discuss the issue at their next meeting on Aug. 17.