College football program wins fans over with totally free concession stands

The product on the field may not be up to par in 2025, but at least Coastal Carolina is offsetting a poor start to the season with concession stands that are completely free of charge.

This past Saturday, a sports media personality who goes by the handle @IcyVert on X/Twitter showed off his experience attending a Coastal Carolina home game. He lamented the team's performance on the field but shared some neat aspects of the overall gameday experience for the Chanticlers, which included a slick pregame intro on the team's unique turqoise turf.

However, IcyVert's favorite charm from Brooks Stadium was its concession stands, which gave out items for free! He posted a video of what seemed to be a very smooth process. You walk up, grab up to four items that you would like, and then take them back to your seat without fishing out the debit card.

Here’s how easy it is to get free food at Coastal Games… we need more of this https://t.co/5DT6B9U8tg pic.twitter.com/G9jOrHT2sp
— IcyVert (@IcyVert) September 15, 2025

Coastal Carolina's decision to erase all concession costs was first announced in March of 2025.

"Our fans are the heartbeat of Teal Nation, and we're always looking for ways to elevate their game day experience," said Chance Miller, the school's Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and University Recreation. "With the CCU Kickoff Meal Deal, we're excited to offer free concessions this fall as a way to say thank you for the energy, passion and support they bring to Brooks Stadium every game."

One game into the season, Miller and CCU are putting mouths where money used to be and truly are giving away concessions for free. In 2025, that's a noble move, especially considering how much concession prices are on the rise elsewhere.

I'll give a personal example. Recently, the Bourbon and Beyond music festival took place in Louisville and I attended a few days... only after I restructured my bank accounts so I could afford to pay $13.50 a pop for a 16-ounce drink. Even small cans of soda and bottles of water cost you a fiver.

That's just to say: event spaces are in overdrive with concession prices these days. They have a monoloply over your fuel. If you want to keep the adult beverages flowing, take a bite to eat, or even settle your dehydration with a water, you're going to have to pay an absurd premium.

So, good on Coastal Carolina for experimenting with free concessions. If people know they won't have to fork over another chunk of change just to sustain themselves during these three-to-four-hour games, perhaps even more will start showing up.