Stanford Univ. is "doing away with all" commercial
signage at its football stadium and Maples Pavilion,
according to Mark Simon of the S.F. CHRONICLE. Officials
say 90% of the signs will be "gone by the next school year,"
while the rest will "disappear as contracts expire." The
decision to remove the signs was initiated by school
President Gerhard Casper, "who said he was growing concerned
about the commercialization of collegiate athletics."
Casper: "I have felt that the very visible commercial
clutter is really not desirable. I thought there was too
much of it, and it was becoming very distracting. ... It's
one thing to have a logo. It's quite another thing to have
these big signs all around." Stanford's Assistant AD Gary
Migdol said that banners promoting Stanford athletics, the
department's Web site and sporting-event ticket sales will
remain in the venues. TV, radio stations and networks that
broadcast Stanford games also "will be allowed to put up
banners." Associate AD/Finance & Operations Debra Gore-
Mann: "We would never put a sign on a biology building.
We'll put Bill Gates' name on a building, but we can't put
Microsoft's name on a building." Stanford has "more than"
120 corporate partners, and Casper acknowledged that losing
sponsor dollars as part of the move will mean the school's
"athletic department would have a very, very hard time
meeting its budget." Stanford will still seek marketing
deals, but will have to offer other incentives to sponsors.
While Stanford is "de-commercializing its sports venues, it
is not prepared to go all the way and remove corporate logos
from the uniforms of its athletes" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 6/15).
