The NCAA News - News and Features

April 6, 1998

A brewing dilemma on campus

Schools wrestle with beverage companies' sponsorship of college sports

BY KAY HAWES
STAFF WRITER

Should an intercollegiate sporting event be sponsored by a brewery?

Should a collegiate athletics department forge a partnership with an alcoholic beverage manufacturer?

In light of several well-publicized deaths of college students in the last year, university officials, athletics directors, faculty members and members of the media are taking a closer look at the relationship between alcoholic beverage companies and intercollegiate athletics.

Partners with a paradox

Institutions of higher education all across the country are seeking more nontraditional ways to pay for programs and services. They're signing contracts with apparel companies, soda pop companies, technology companies and telephone companies, who may advertise on campus, sponsor a campus event or pay a sizable fee to be the "only" provider on campus in that category.

Athletics departments in particular recently have felt the financial need to seek out corporate partners. Many are squeezed between state legislatures who want to give less, students and spectators who don't want to pay more and the rising costs of intercollegiate athletics.

In the course of seeking financial relationships with local and national companies, some institutions have turned to alcoholic beverage distributorships and brewing companies to sponsor athletics events, tournaments or teams.

Other schools have established strict policies that prohibit such partnerships and may even prohibit the sale of alcohol on campus.

Still other institutions are on the fence, their officials weighing the pros and cons of accepting advertising or signing a lucrative sponsorship agreement.

And there's so much to consider. Unlike the soda pop and apparel companies, alcoholic beverage companies provide a product that is illegal for at least some of the student body to possess or consume.

The issue creates a paradox for university officials, who are often charged with trying not only to discourage underage use but also to discourage binge drinking on their campuses.

The product is legal for most users and, some argue, consumers who use the product properly and in moderation don't suffer ill effects. In that way, alcohol is unlike tobacco, which poses documented health risks to consumers, even when used in moderation.

Only one thing is certain: Alcohol companies' involvement in intercollegiate athletics is a hot issue, and it's a debate that will probably not be resolved anytime soon.

From scoreboards to licensed apparel

How are alcohol companies involved in intercollegiate athletics? They're involved in everything from advertising in game programs and commercials during television broadcasts of games to outright sponsorship deals with individual institutions.

National companies may create specialty beer cans or build stadiums. Distributorships may sponsor half-time contests for spectators or outfit club and intramural teams, providing equipment and uniforms. A few universities have licensed their logos to be used in conjunction with a brewing company's name on promotional items and apparel.

Bud Light and Keystone Light commercials aired during the CBS broadcasts of the NCAA Final Four. During the men's National Invitation Tournament (NIT), held in Madison Square Garden in New York City, viewers watching the games on television frequently saw a strategically located billboard advertising Bud Light.

Coors has produced a beer can commemorating the championship football season at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

And until recently, a Coors Light distributor provided an inflatable silver tunnel for the California State University, Fresno, men's basketball team to run through on its way from the locker room to the home court.

The Chicago Tribune reported in February that Northwestern University's sponsorship with Miller Brewing Co. placed the brewery among the top five or six largest corporate sponsors of the university. The newspaper also reported that among the promotions was a magnetic sports schedule with the brewery's logo, which the paper said was distributed to Northwestern students.

Even the Heisman Trophy had an alcohol connection last year. As part of a promotion criticized by many members of the media, the Downtown Athletic Club leased the trophy image to Coors, and the brewing company ran a "Name the Heisman Trophy winner" contest.

Finding the line

"Many campuses are wrestling with the issue right now," says John Zelezny, assistant vice-president for university relations at Fresno State.

"Right now the university is investigating exactly what our guidelines should be for sponsorship by alcoholic beverage companies. The rule over the years has been that we accept sponsorships that do not promote irresponsible drinking."

Zelezny said examples of unacceptable promotions under the university's guidelines would be advertisements for two-for-one specials, reduced-price "ladies' nights," bar crawls and similar events.

Fresno State's President John D. Welty recently asked Zelezny to investigate the policies of other universities. "We're examining whether we should tighten our guidelines," Zelezny said.

While Fresno State's basketball team running through the Coors Light inflatable silver tunnel got a lot of negative media attention, Zelezny said the tunnel was not designed to look like a beer can.

"But, the university decided that, if that was how people were perceiving it, then that was not appropriate. The president talked with the distributor and we no longer do that."

Zelezny also said the university's relationships with local alcoholic beverage distributors are nothing new. "We have relationships now with a least a couple of local distributors," Zelezny said "We certainly have not shunned them over the years."

Another beer distributor promotion at Fresno State involves spectators tossing Bud Light parachutes at a target in the field house.

Zelezny said the issue of alcohol company sponsorship of athletics events puts the university in a difficult position.

"It poses a difficult problem for us, because on one hand it's important not to promote abuse of the product," Zelezny said. "On the other hand, we got rid of prohibition as a society decades ago. Also, our events that have these promotions are attended largely by community people rather than by students. We're talking about adults here who are of drinking age."

Zelezny also pointed out that the university has a student-athlete assistance program that deals with drug and alcohol abuse. "It's intended to help the student medically, but there are some punitive elements too," he said.

Fresno State has one other complication that makes an alcohol-free campus unlikely. "We make wine right here on campus," Zelezny said, referring to the university's department of enology in its food, science and nutrition school. "Our students go to some of the best wineries in the world. It would look silly for us to say, 'We have this great program,' and then, 'Oh, by the way, we have a dry campus.'

"Alcohol is OK; our society has already determined that. We need to find the line for our university," he said. "And decide what is acceptable and what is not."

A different message

For the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, there are no promotions with alcoholic beverage companies. No amount of alcoholic beverage advertising is acceptable, and no alcohol is served at sporting events. "Tailgating" is not permitted either.

"Our campus alcohol policy is really quite restrictive," said Susan Kitchen, vice-chancellor for student affairs. "This is actually our long-standing position on the issue.

"Dean Smith (former coach of the men's basketball team) has been a long-time proponent of this approach."

North Carolina also made an agreement with the Village Co., a communications company in the state, that does not permit any alcohol advertising during radio broadcasts of Tar Heel games.

"We were in the process of renegotiating our contract with them for the Tar Heel Network," Kitchen said. "The company agreed to it, and then they said, 'This is important. Let's not just eliminate alcohol ads, let's advertise a better message.'"

Kitchen said the Village Co. used its public relations skills to formulate a "Don't Get Wasted" campaign for the school.

"The 'Don't Get Wasted' campaign incorporates student-athletes, coaches and town leaders, on the radio and in videos on television," Kitchen said.

"We use messages that focus on binge drinking and incorporate what students have advised us would be effective."

Last year, the university's "Fall Fest" used the messages when it attracted 5,000 students to the center of campus for a variety of alcohol-free events, including live music, prize drawings and appearances by the Tar Heels' sports teams.

"We wanted to send the message that you can have fun without alcohol," Kitchen said, pointing out that the event lasted until 2 a.m. to prevent students from being enticed to leave it for the bars.

Kitchen also said that the university is trying to educate students about alcohol. "First of all, 30 percent of our students don't drink at all," Kitchen said. "We want them to know that we know they exist and that social life does not have to include alcohol. Second, we want to make sure there are choices for our students."

When a student pointed out that he had to go to a sports bar to watch the Tar Heels' games on a big screen television, the university purchased a big screen television of its own and placed it in the union so students could watch in an alcohol-free environment.

But Kitchen said that what concerns North Carolina officials most is binge drinking.

"We're trying to say that there are consequences of binge drinking and we want students to be aware of them."

'An expensive thing to do'

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, had a three-year relationship with Miller Brewing Co. that permitted the company to do promotions, have signage and use the university's logo with prior approval.

Following the conclusion of that relationship, the university signed a similar deal with the Minnesota Brewing Co., the St. Paul-based maker of Grain Belt Beer.

While neither company ever was given the right to use Minnesota's mascot -- as was incorrectly reported by the media -- they did have ads in game programs, and they sponsored athletics schedule cards.

Beginning last fall, the university began to re-examine its relationship with alcoholic beverage companies.

"In light of the increasing number of drinking-related incidents across the nation, Dr. McKinley Boston, the vice-president of student affairs and athletics, decided it would be appropriate for us to get out of that type of an arrangement," said Pat Forciea, assistant athletics director for external operations at Minnesota.

"Dr. Boston decided that we were in a position of sending mixed messages. We were allowing (alcoholic beverage companies) to use our athletics teams to promote their products, but we were also trying to decrease underage and binge drinking," Forciea said.

"The right thing to do was to end our relationship. It was also an expensive thing to do," he added.

The agreements with the alcoholic beverage companies provided around $250,000 for the university's athletics department.

Not long after the decision was made to re-duce the three-year agreement with Minnesota Brewing to one year, an opportunity presented itself to make up for those funds.

In January, Minnesota agreed to a three-year, $242,500 sponsorship deal with Land O'Lakes, a Minnesota cooperative best known for its dairy products.

The university and the company are still deciding what types of promotions they'll be doing, but current plans call for the partnership to be launched this fall with an athletics ticket package that will get spectators tickets to the Minnesota state fair, tickets to the Gophers' first football game of the season and a gallon of milk.

"It's the kind of relationship we ought to have," Forciea said.

Binge drinking a popular pastime

One of the reasons universities are re-examining their policies is the increase of awareness of "binge drinking," a practice where students drink large quantities of alcohol in a short period of time.

Data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism shows that almost 90 percent of all college students have used alcohol, and 40 percent of college students have engaged in binge drinking.

A study by Harvard University's School of Public Health, which surveyed students at 140 colleges, found that 44 percent of the students surveyed engaged in binge drinking during the two weeks before the survey.

The survey also found that the percentage of students who were binge drinkers was nearly the same from freshmen to seniors, even though most freshmen and sophomores are under the legal drinking age.

Who's the market?

Much of the debate on this issue surrounds the question of who alcoholic beverage companies are trying to reach with their advertising and promotions of campus events and intercollegiate athletics.

Students know they're the target of the on-campus advertising, said Debra F. Erenberg, manager of College Initiatives with the Alcohol Policies Project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

"I think the biggest problem with alcohol companies' involvement in intercollegiate athletics is the student's sense of hypocrisy at these universities who tell them not to drink if they're underage and who tell them to drink responsibly," Erenberg said.

"Then the universities turn around and take large amounts of money from companies who encourage the students to drink more. In a lot of these partnerships, the universities are letting companies have access to students in what's supposed to be a learning environment," she added.

"Alcohol is not a legal product for a majority of students on these campuses," Erenberg said. "And where the risks of tobacco are more long-term, the risks of alcohol abuse are more immediate.

"If you look at any college campus, you will see the impact of alcohol on students' daily lives in car wrecks, missed classes, fights, rapes and vandalism," Erenberg said. "Universities who permit alcohol companies on campus are undermining everything they're working for in all those other arenas."

John T. Kaestner, senior group director, consumer awareness and education, Anheuser-Busch Cos., disagrees.

"Does alcohol belong in the promotion of intercollegiate athletics? I would say yes, for a variety of reasons," Kaestner said.

"First of all, if we talk about TV and radio advertising, the vast majority of people who watch and listen to intercollegiate athletics are of age," Kaestner said.

"This is our prime audience: sports enthusiasts, age 21-35, generally male.

"Second, equally important is the fact that a lot of that funding generated by sponsorships helps fund not so much basketball and football, but sports like track, baseball and women's sports. If it wasn't for the dollars contributed by these advertisers, a lot of those sports would be eliminated," Kaestner said.

"Third, according to the U.S. Department of Education, 65 percent of the students on campus are of legal drinking age," he said.

Kaestner stated that college students on campus are older now for a variety of reasons, including nontraditional students returning to seek degrees.

"Does this mean that beer companies should be irresponsible? No. We have guidelines that we've adopted," Kaestner said.

Known as the "College Marketing Code," these guidelines set voluntary limits on how and when the company and its distributors will promote alcoholic beverages. The guidelines call for an open relationship with colleges and universities, Kaestner said.

"The No. 1 question I ask a wholesaler who calls and wants to do a campus promotion is, 'Have you checked with the campus administration?'

"I think for us to make any headway addressing alcohol-abuse problems on campus, it's going to have to be a team effort," Kaestner said.

"It's going to take the combined efforts of the universities, community law enforcement and the beverage companies," Kaestner said. "It's going to have to be a team effort, and we're all going to have to be a part of the solution."

Congress has opinion, too

On March 5, Sen. Joseph R. Biden, D-Delaware, proposed a resolution in the U.S. Senate that includes recommendations that universities not enter into sponsorship agreements with alcoholic beverage companies.

The"Collegiate Initiative to Reduce Binge Drinking" (S. Res. 192) calls on all institutions of higher education to adopt a code of principles designed to create a campus environment that de-emphasizes the role of heavy drinking in student life.

While the resolution would not create any legally binding requirements for institutions, the resolution encourages institutions to recognize the problem and work toward solutions.

One of the recommendations in the resolution is that institutions "should adopt a policy of eliminating alcoholic beverage-related sponsorship of on-campus activities" and should "adopt policies limiting the advertisement and promotion of alcoholic beverages on campus."

In December of last year, Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II, D-Massachusetts, proposed a nearly identical, nonbinding resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives. It also calls for universities to eliminate alcoholic beverage-related sponsorships and limit advertising and promotions of alcoholic beverages.

NCAA restrictions limited

The NCAA does not prohibit institutions from entering into partnerships with alcoholic beverage companies, nor does it restrict advertising of alcoholic beverages on campus.

The Association does restrict advertising of alcoholic beverages in conjunction with NCAA championships.

Bylaw 31.1.12.1 states: "Advertising of malt beverages, beer and wine products that do not exceed six percent alcohol by volume may be used in game programs. Such advertisements, however, shall not compose more than 14 percent of the space in the program devoted to advertising or not more than 60 seconds per hour of any telecast or broadcast (either a single 60-second commercial or two 30-second commercials)."

Also, Bylaw 31.1.12.1.2 states: "A championships activity or promotion may not be sponsored by liquor, tobacco, beer or wine companies or by professional sports organizations or teams at any time."

Also, no alcoholic beverages may be sold at an NCAA championship.

"There are member institutions that either sell advertising opportunities to alcohol companies that exceed our restrictions for championships or that have other relationships with alcohol companies," said Wallace I. Renfro, NCAA director of public relations.

"The membership has typically voted more restrictions on championships advertising than they might have on their own campuses."

Renfro says the NCAA's view of alcohol is very different from its view of tobacco. "Our views on tobacco are based on the fact that it is commonly accepted that tobacco's use is a health risk," he said.

The NCAA does not oppose alcohol consumption, but it does oppose its abuse. "I think that the issue is about abuse. Alcohol is not an illegal product," Renfro said. "But the abuse of alcohol is something we should stand opposed to."

Renfro said one of the ways the NCAA attempts to fight abuse is through the Association's CHOICES program.

CHOICES, a grant program for alcohol education, is sponsored by the Association. Through CHOICES, the NCAA provides funding to member institutions and conferences for the development, implementation and evaluation of alcohol education and prevention programs on college campuses.

The CHOICES program is funded through the support of the NCAA Foundation and a $2.7 million grant to the Foundation from the Anheuser-Busch Cos.

Renfro said the program's funding source sends an even stronger message that alcohol abuse is a problem to be taken seriously. And, he noted that while some people might be critical of the funding source, the funds are used to educate students and student-athletes about the dangers of abusing alcohol.

"I think you have to look at the nature of the program," Renfro said. "It's about ways to fight alcohol abuse."

Added Elizabeth N. Binkley, NCAA sports sciences program coordina-tor, "Without these funds, CHOICES would not exist. Anheuser-Busch has been more than generous and we certainly value their dollars. They are not involved in the administration of the program, however. The NCAA developed and administers the program."

"CHOICES has enabled us to show that we are a responsible corporation," said Anheuser-Busch's Kaestner.

"While our goal is to sell beer and make the company profitable, we know that our best customers are responsible customers. We want to send a strong message that we are against underage drinking and abuse of alcohol."

Restrictions 'not good enough'?

There may be a call for NCAA member institutions to do more to prevent underage drinking and binge drinking, in part by eliminating or reducing relationships with alcohol companies.

In her address at this year's NCAA Convention, Donna E. Shalala, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, told Division I members that she was concerned about binge drinking and the involvement of alcohol in the promotion of intercollegiate athletics.

"I am here to tell you that we have a problem and that you have a major role to play in the fight against alcohol and drug abuse," she said.

Shalala noted that, as the former chancellor of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, she understood the revenue demands of a Division I athletics program, but that she believes there's no place in intercollegiate athletics for alcohol companies.

"As you know, right now, advertising restrictions only apply to NCAA championships," she said. "Frankly, I don't think that's good enough. We need to sever the tie between college sports and drinking. Completely. Absolutely. And forever.

"That's why I believe the time has come for voluntary guidelines that say: No alcohol advertising on the premises of an intercollegiate athletics event. No bringing alcohol to the site of an event. No turning a blind eye to underage drinking at tailgate parties -- and on campus. And no alcohol sponsorship of intercollegiate sporting events.

"All institutions of higher learning should follow the lead of (North Carolina), Baylor, Brigham Young and soon Minnesota by saying 'no' to alcohol sponsorship of sporting events," Shalala said.

Difficult choices?

As university officials examine their guidelines and make choices about what degree of participation alcoholic beverage companies will be allowed to have in intercollegiate athletics on their campuses, nearly everyone recognizes that some degree of student drinking will always take place in college.

North Carolina's Kitchen said she is realistic. "I have no illusions. I know some students will be drinking, no matter what. I was a college student once too," she said.

"But I am concerned about students who drink to get drunk. Those are the students who get raped or mugged or arrested. And nobody chooses to do that."