College Alcohol Advertising
Issue
Historically, many critics have used prominent college athletic events to call
for a ban on alcohol advertisements during broadcasts of such events, believing
that they target underage drinkers.
AAF Position
The AAF supports the alcohol industry's self-regulation advertising
guidelines, which limit ads for alcohol products to audiences where at least 70 percent of
the viewing audience is expected to be of legal drinking age. Nielsen data
indicates that 87 percent of all college football and basketball games have an
audience above the legal drinking age.
Opposition
Some groups, such as the Center for Alcohol Marketing and Youth (CAMY) and the
Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), have called for an outright
ban on any alcohol advertising during televised college sports events. CSPI
developed the "Campaign for Alcohol-Free Sports TV," which has the support of 246
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) colleges and universities (61 in
Division I).
The NCAA has recommended that its member colleges adopt rules limiting alcohol advertising during games involving their schools. The NCAA wants colleges to use the same standards they have for championship tournaments—no more than 60 seconds of alcohol-related advertising per hour and no more than two minutes per game—and limit the products shown to beer, wine and malt beverages.
Legislation
Prior to retiring, Rep. Tom Osborne, R-Neb., introduced "sense of Congress"
resolutions calling on the NCAA, athletic conferences and member colleges and
universities to discourage alcohol use among students and viewers not of legal
drinking age by prohibiting alcohol ads during radio and television broadcasts of
sporting events. No member has reintroduced similar resolutions since Rep. Osborne
left Congress.
Last updated: April 2007