A fan overseas holds a T_shirt celebrating beer.

MIRAMAR BEACH, Florida — Pop the top, SEC fans. The conference cleared the way for alcohol sales in general-seating areas inside its stadiums for the upcoming football season in a vote lifting a conference-wide ban Friday.

The SEC’s 14 presidents and 14 athletics directors approved a measure lifting the ban on the sale of alcohol (only beer and wine) in general seating and concourses across the SEC in a vote Friday at the SEC’s spring meetings, but with some restrictions.

SEC institutions will have autonomy under "certain conference-wide expectations" to sell alcohol, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said. "There is no expectation for anyone to make alcohol available beyond clubs and suites," but now SEC schools can sell alcohol in general-seating areas, Sankey said.

The move had been long discussed among athletics directors and presidents in the SEC, though those talks bounced between official and unofficial channels over the last five years. The conference finally got serious with the issue over the last two years here at its annual spring meetings. The ban will be lifted Aug. 1.

“We’re a pretty traditional league,” Florida athletics director Scott Stricklin said. “There’s a lot of societal, cultural pressure in the south. We’re probably a little bit slow to develop in those kinds of areas. Our league is a reflection of that.”

Clearance to sell beer, however, doesn't necessarily mean all schools will introduce alcohol to the general public in its stadium. Individual universities will have the power to decide whether to allow alcohol sales inside their stadiums. Many SEC programs already allow alcohol in high-profile donor suites.

While conferences such as the Big Ten have legalized the sale of alcohol in general areas of stadiums, the SEC has studied the results, focusing on sales and safety. There’s also the issue of logistics and proper identification of fans over the age of 21.

“It may be more along the lines of probably paying attention (to other conferences), and it doesn’t seem like places that have introduced it have gone up flames, so maybe it’s not as deadly as once feared,” Stricklin said.

Several programs, even though they might be willing to allow alcohol sales, are not yet sure if they will do so starting with the 2019 season. LSU, Texas A&M and Ole Miss appear to be on the forefront of those allowing sales as soon as possible.

Alcohol advertising in stadiums will not be allowed, though lounges "behind the scenes" could be sponsored.

The SEC has not yet discussed if it will enter discussions with beer sponsors to become the "official beer of the SEC."

"We're not there," Sankey said.

Auburn is one school that will not sell alcohol in general-seating areas, president Steven Leath told Auburn Undercover.

"My personal opinion is that we ought to just think about, from a campus perspective, ... what makes sense for us and I don’t have an answer for that," Auburn athletics director Allen Greene. "That’s a much more collaborative institutional discussion."

Each institution that chooses to sell alcohol will be required to implement a server training program for staff.

“We are committed as a Conference to ensuring that all changes in policy are implemented in ways that respect and sustain the traditions that make the SEC game-day experience exceptional for all attendees,” Sankey said.

Each institution is permitted to determine the permissibility of selling alcoholic beverages in athletics venues and shall establish a policy governing the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages in its athletics facilities.

Institutions that offer alcohol sales in public areas must incorporate Conference-wide alcohol management expectations, which include:

Alcoholic beverages are to be sold and dispensed only at designated stationary locations;

Alcoholic beverages may not be sold by vendors within the seating areas;

Identification check is required at every point of sale to prevent sales to minors;

Alcoholic beverage sales are limited to beer and wine only (no hard liquor or mixed drinks may be sold in public seating areas);

Limits must be established on the number of drinks purchased at one time by an individual;

Alcohol must be dispensed into cups;

Safe server training and additional training for staff to handle high risk situations is required; and

Designated stop times for sale and/or distribution of alcohol must be enforced as follows: