Editorial: Excessive alcohol ads at NCAA in poor taste

Over 100 college presidents and athletic directors should be commended for writing a letter to the NCAA president on Wednesday denouncing the plethora of beer advertisements that dominated the men’s basketball tournament.

NCAA bylaws do not permit hard alcohol ads, and according to an Associated Press article, there are policies limiting beer ads to a maximum of 60 seconds per hour and 120 seconds per broadcast.

The Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington, D.C. reported a peak of 270 seconds of beer advertising during the final game.

While beer companies have the right to promote their product, the NCAA should abide by its own guidelines and enforce the alcohol ad restrictions.

NCAA matches are different from other sports events in that they are meant to celebrate the talents of players who are often too young to legally drink the alcohol advertised during their games.

Allowing beer ads to become prominent devalues the educational aspect that is the basis for higher education, and allows the image of colleges to devolve into congregations of alcohol fanatics.