The U-M administration says this “exclusive pouring rights” approach could streamline service, boost sustainability credentials, and, of course, pour more money into university coffers.

Bottoms up for bureaucracy.

MORE NEWS: Gilchrist Ends Governor Campaign, Will Run for Secretary of State

Right now, U-M works with a buffet of beverage suppliers, no single brand on tap. The switch to a monopoly-style contract would align Michigan with many Big Ten peers who already have exclusive pouring deals in place including Ohio State and Indiana University.

Currently, Michigan State University (MSU) is exclusive to Coca-Cola, a deal that has been in place for about two decades according to State News. MSU decided to keep its long-standing Coca-Cola beverage contract in place after planned negotiations with Pepsi fell apart in fall of last year, meaning campus dining halls will continue serving Coke products despite an earlier competitive bidding process that initially appeared to hand the combined fountain and vending contract to Pepsi.

Student reactions: a mixed stir.

For some students at the University of Michigan, this is a “why fix what isn’t broken?” moment. Whether U-M ends up with Coke, Pepsi, Red Bull, or Dr Pepper on deck, one thing’s clear: this debate isn’t going flat anytime soon.

Business junior Jane Kim told the Michigan Daily, “You really want to offer (students) the most amount of choices. I was looking at the different companies, and one of them was Red Bull. Obviously a lot of people drink Red Bull for caffeine, but if you’re thinking about providing all of the drinks on campus, there are probably not as many options, and not the ones that people would typically expect to be at a soda fountain.”

Jorge Iniguez-Lluhi, associate professor of pharmacology told Michigan Daily, “I’m just afraid the economic interests might overshadow the need for or the willingness of constituencies to have a more broad access to a wide range of beverages.” He went on to say, “And the other concern – if an agreement with one large company comes to pass – is whether or not that’s going to create undue influence, pushing specific types of products or less healthy products to the students.”

Just don’t expect the U-M fountains to start flowing with just one cola overnight. The decision is still percolating through the internal review and committee process and will most likely include stakeholder input (students, faculty and staff) before a final decision is made. Until then, the university is still sipping, sampling, and swirling its options – and for now, the choice of drinks on campus remains very much a mixed six-pack.