The NCAA “wants to maintain oversight over bowl sponsors and advertising,” and the organization has “drafted a detailed advertising, sponsorship and promotional policy to be considered” by the NCAA BOD later this month, according to Dennis Dodd of CBSSPORTS.com. The documents dated March 30 ban "familiar vices as ads and sponsors -- alcohol, tobacco and gambling.” The NCAA in the March 30 documents also “take a stance on such subjects as misogyny, religious beliefs, obscenity.” The documents “list 35 subjects or issues that are deemed either ‘permissible’ or ‘impermissible’ ‘to be associated with Division I Football Bowls.’" The NCAA in ’09 “squashed the International Bowl's intent to sign” 5-hour Energy as title sponsor for the game. The decision “had nothing to do with football, attendance or ratings,” as the NCAA tried to place the product in the energy drink category. However, the failure of the game to close that deal “essentially killed the bowl.” Dodd asked, “Should the NCAA be the sole arbiter in deciding that Five Hour Energy may contain an impermissible nutritional supplement but that Independence Bowl title sponsor AdvoCare is OK?” UNLV AD Jim Livengood “sees the changing landscape and believes a casino will soon sponsor a bowl.” The task force recommendations “actually account for that possibility as long as the hotel sponsorship does not include a gambling reference.” Dodd: “If you believe that the Harrah's Sportsbook Bowl is going to ruin college athletics and the Viagra Bowl isn't, well, it's a short argument. One that the NCAA is doggedly trying to win by making sure there are no more GoDaddy.com bowls.” The GoDaddy.com seemingly “has become a dividing line in the bowl sponsorship hierarchy.” The documents “essentially state that the NCAA will be the one deciding if women are being portrayed as sexual objects and whether material is ‘defamatory, obscene, profane, vulgar or otherwise considered socially unacceptable '" One college administrator said, "Do we really want the NCAA to be the moral police?" (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/10).
