College presidents: Athletes, alcohol just don't mix

Beer and college basketball don't mix, some college officials say.

More than 100 college presidents and athletic directors-- including Wheaton College athletic director Tony Ladd -- wrote a letter to NCAA President Myles Brand last week calling beer advertising "embarrassingly prominent" during this year's March Madness tournament broadcasts.

They asked the organization to reconsider its policies on alcohol advertising.

During the tournament, the NCAA violated its own policies limiting beer advertising to 60 seconds per hour and no more than 120 seconds per telecast, according to the Washington-based Center for Science in the Public Interest, which helped organize the letter.

The center said it counted 200 seconds and 240 seconds of beer advertising during Saturday's two semifinal games, and 270 seconds during Monday night's final.

NCAA bylaws do not allow any advertising for hard alcohol.

"Given the persistent problems caused by underage and excessive college drinking, much of it in the form of beer, we find it inconceivable that the NCAA's profiting from beer promotion during the telecasts of college basketball games comports with the best interests of higher education, sports, or student welfare," the letter said.

Wheaton College, a Christian school whose community covenant prohibits alcohol consumption by undergraduates, was the only institution in Illinois to sign the letter.

"Even if you're … going to a college without a community covenant, having beer ads doesn't make sense," college spokeswoman Sarah Clark said. "It's inconsistent with everything we're trying to teach our athletes and student body as a whole."

The NCAA did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.

Some Illinois universities that didn't sign the letter still have policies limiting alcohol advertising during sporting events.

Northwestern University, Southern Illinois University, Augustana College in Rock Island, Concordia University in River Forest, North Park University in Chicago and Wheaton College all have signed agreements prohibiting alcohol advertising on locally produced sports programming, such as coaches shows and spring football games.

The Big Ten also banned alcohol and gambling-related advertising from its Big Ten Network.

Hundreds of organizations, including the American Medical Association, support alcohol-free advertising for college sports.

"This is just part of a much larger problem of heavy promotion of alcohol, especially cheap alcohol, to college students," said Chicago-based Richard Yoast, director of the AMA office dealing with alcohol and other drug abuse issues.

"In terms of how much effect those particular ads have … beer companies can tell you that. They wouldn't do it if there was no positive impact," Yoast said.