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On August 4th, the National Collegiate
Athletic Association's (NCAA) top policy-making body, the Executive
Committee, will meet in Indianapolis. The Executive Committee is made up of
19 college leaders from all three athletic divisions. The purpose of the
meeting is to review, among other things, the organization’s alcohol
policies — including policies regarding alcohol advertising on NCAA sports
broadcasts. Current NCAA policy purports to exclude ads that “do not appear
to be in the best interests of higher education.” The policy prohibits ads
for alcoholic beverages, but allows advertising for products with less than
6% alcohol by volume, essentially creating an exemption for beer ads.
A broad coalition of organizations, including 228 schools in the NCAA, have joined in a national effort to end alcohol advertising on
college games. More than 180 national, state, and local
organizations — including the American Medical Association, the American
College Health Association, the American Public Health Association — have also
endorsed the effort.
Members of Congress have also prodded the NCAA. Led by the efforts of Rep.
Tom Osborne (R-NE), they support H.Res. 145, which encourages the
NCAA to end all alcohol ads on college broadcasts. He and other co-sponsors
of this bill recently sent a letter to the NCAA Executive Committee, urging
“the Committee to act on the side of the health and safety of college
students, athletes and young fans by ending all alcohol advertising during
NCAA broadcasts.”
Click here to read the full text of the Congressional letter.
Click here to read Rep. Osborne’s press release. |
Resources:
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Congressional Letter to the NCAA
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Rep. Osborne Press Release |
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