Consumer Watchdog Criticizes NCAA for Alcohol Advertising Policy

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has criticized the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA’s) policy on alcohol marketing during sanctioned events, claiming that beer was the “second most-advertised product” in the Final Four basketball tournament. CSPI allegedly found that beer promotions constituted 12 percent of all advertisements during the Final Four, but only 6 percent of those featured during the Bowl Championship Series, where “beer was the seventh most-advertised product.”

The consumer watchdog has purportedly sent a letter to NCAA President Myles Brands, reiterating its long-standing request for NCAA to prohibit all alcohol advertising during its games. In addition, CSPI noted that hundreds of college presidents, athletic directors and coaches last year petitioned the association to further restrict its alcohol marketing policies. “The NCAA lags far behind other organizations when it comes to protecting its young audience from beer ads,” stated CSPI’s George Hacker. See CSPI Press Release, January 16, 2009.