Four IMG-placed billboards "featuring UConn's Husky mascot, a towering [Coors Light] beer bottle and the slogan, 'Huskies Love the Cold,' caused a flap that had school officials scrambling Wednesday to have the advertisements taken down," according to Kathleen Megan of the HARTFORD COURANT. UConn Senior Associate AD/Communications Mike Enright said that the ads "had been removed from the two electronic billboards and would soon come down from the two 'static' billboards as well." All of the billboards "are in the Hartford area with at least one on I-91 and another on I-84." At least one legislator, state Sen. Toni Boucher, and others saw the endorsement "as contrary to UConn's efforts to curtail drinking and vandalism on campus, particularly after UConn victories." Boucher: "The university has gone to great lengths to curb excessive drinking ... Here, you are sending a mixed message." UConn President Susan Herbst and BOT Chair Lawrence McHugh yesterday in a joint statement said, "Whatever the intention was, we believe that these billboards sent the wrong message and are pleased that they are being taken down." Megan notes IMG "holds the marketing rights for UConn athletics" and "has a national sponsorship contract with Coors." UConn AD Warde Manuel said that the school "does not receive direct funding from Coors for their sponsorship, since that contract is between Coors and IMG." However, the school "is getting close" to an $8M fee this year from IMG "in exchange for the marketing rights." Manuel added that UConn "has been working with IMG for the past week to remove the ads." Enright said that he "wasn't sure exactly how long the billboards were up, but thought it was for about two or three weeks" (HARTFORD COURANT, 9/11).
