AUSTIN — As soon as Jonathan and Cary Urso entered Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday, they realized that something seemed different.

Eight beer vendors greeted them at the door. Behind that, three more stood, plying still more cold beer.

Some carried plastic coolers. Others stood guard at stationary metal tubs. They all yelled “Co-o-o-old Beer,” with a lilt in the middle of “cold” at various intervals.

It was a daunting gantlet of fermented temptation for the throngs of thirsty fans.

The message, at least to the Ursos, was clear.

“It’s not subtle,” Jonathan Urso quipped.

“I’m going to feel bad if I don’t drink a beer,” said Cary Urso, who doesn’t drink alcohol.

The University of Texas has begun beer sales at home football games, with Saturday’s game against Rice the first day that suds would legally flow at the venue.

A few feet away from the Ursos — literally, only a few feet away — beer vendor Jose Mendoza kept up a steady stream of chatter, trying to drum up sales.

“I’m selling a little bit, but not much,” he said. “It could be better.”

He peddled bottled water at UT home games last season and would earn $200 a game.

Mendoza doesn’t think he’ll do that well this year, though each tall boy (16 ounces) fetches $8 if domestic and $9 if an import. A 12-ounce draft beer, available at select concession stands, sold for $9.

“I don’t know, man,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “It felt like the beer should be flying off the shelves. It should be flying off the shelves.”

Fewer than two dozen on-campus stadiums allow beer sales, according to reports. In Texas, the University of Houston, the University of Texas at El Paso, Southern Methodist University and North Texas are among the schools where alcohol is sold at on-campus stadiums.

School officials made the decision to sell beer at football games over the summer. Beer sales began at last season’s basketball and baseball games.

That went so smoothly, said UT police Capt. Gonzalo Gonzalez, that campus cops didn’t feel a need to increase the uniformed presence at the game.

“We’ve had alcohol at football games for years in the private suites and the clubs,” he said. “It’s never been a problem.”

According to the UT beer sales policy, sales start two hours before kickoff, but stop at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Patrons are limited to two beers per person, and the athletic department has monitors who will circulate through the stadium, making sure that legal buyers are not passing beers to minors.

Cary Urso has her doubts.

“There are 105,000 people in here,” she said. “I’d like to know, how can they execute that plan?”

Beer wasn’t a big deal to fans.

“If anything, they’re behind the curve,” said Steve Stackhouse of Austin, cradling a Coors Light and looking for food. “But at least it’s here now.”

Sales picked up through the game. By halftime, most beer stands had lines snaking from them, with a dozen or so fans in each.

“They’re going to drink now or they’re going to drink before the game,” said David Jeseckh of Victoria.

He took a long drink of his $8 Coors Light tall boy, which can be had for as little as $1.05 in some stores.

“The main issue now,” he said, “is the price.”

rbragg@express-news.net

Twitter: roybragg