- The NCAA will now allow alcohol advertising during championship events, including March Madness.
- The U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance and nine state health agencies want the NCAA to reverse the rule.
- The NCAA has expanded the types of liquor that can be advertised and the length of the ads.
The NCAA has lifted a longstanding ban on advertising alcohol and energy drinks during its championship events, including March Madness.
USA Today first reported last week that the college sports governing body changed its ad policy as part of an agreement with television companies to expand the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments from 68 to 76 teams starting in March 2027. Money is driving the shift.
“The NCAA Division I Board of Directors changed these policies to maximize the revenue the association returns to member schools as they are investing more and more in student-athletes on their campuses,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice President of basketball. “The change also brings NCAA Championships in line with most schools and conferences which have been selling alcohol during events and accepting alcohol advertising and sponsorship for some time now. The NCAA will continue to prohibit sports betting and daily fantasy advertising.”
The NCAA will take in an extra $300 million with the expanded tournament field. And in order to pay for it, TV companies needed to be able to sell more commercials, which becomes easier and more lucrative if alcohol and energy drinks are included, per USA Today.
A call to reverse new NCAA alcohol ad policy
The change has drawn the attention of the U.S. Alcohol Policy Alliance and public health agencies in the nine states, including Utah. They called on the NCAA to reverse the policy, saying the decision to increase alcohol promotion targeting young viewers threatens to undermine encouraging declines in youth drinking and will expose more young people to alcohol-related harm.
“At a time when young Americans are making healthier choices, the NCAA should be encouraging that trend — not promoting more drinking,” Mike Marshall, CEO of the alliance, said in a statement. “It is difficult to reconcile the NCAA’s commitment to student well-being with policies that increase exposure to misleading advertising during some of the most-watched sporting events in the country.”
Recent data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health found the percentage of Americans experiencing alcohol use disorder declined from 10.6% (29.7 million people) in 2021 to 8.9% (25.7 million people) in 2025. The nonprofit alcohol policy alliance and nine state public health organizations argue that that progress should be protected, not undermined by increased alcohol marketing.
The alliance says the concern is particularly acute during March Madness, noting that marketing data shows 37% of Gen Z watched the annual tournament, making it an attractive platform for alcohol companies seeking to build lifelong customers.
Young people already face disproportionate alcohol-related harms, according to the alliance. A National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism survey found that nearly one in four adults ages 18–25 reported binge drinking in the past month. Alcohol is also a leading contributor to injuries, sexual assault, impaired driving and academic failure among college-age Americans.
“The NCAA has rightly invested in campaigns addressing sports betting harms and student-athlete well-being,” Marshall said. “We are simply asking for the same commitment when it comes to alcohol.”
Short of reversing its alcohol advertising policy, the alliance and public health agencies want the NCAA to require broadcasters to air an equal number of public service announcements highlighting alcohol’s harms, including its links to cancer, alcohol use disorder, impaired driving, violence, sexual assault and mental health challenges.
“If the NCAA believes alcohol advertising belongs alongside college sports, then viewers deserve an equal opportunity to hear the truth about alcohol’s risks,” Marshall said. “The current approach gives the alcohol industry millions of dollars’ worth of marketing while providing almost no evidence-based public health education.”
In addition to Utah, public health agencies in Alaska, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan and Texas are calling on the NCAA to reverse the policy.
Liquor and energy drinks
The NCAA previously banned advertising during its championship events for alcohol products that exceeded 6% alcohol by volume or ABV, which included many beer products but excluded liquor and many wines. It also had restricted beer ads to no longer than 60 seconds per hour of NCAA championship programming.
Under the change, the ABV limit was eliminated, and commercials may now run up to 120 seconds per hour. The new policy took effect July 1.
USA Today also noted that the new policy marks the latest twist in the “long, strange history” between the NCAA and energy drinks, which still are forbidden in another way. NCAA schools aren’t allowed to provide them to student-athletes because caffeine is listed as a banned stimulant that could cause a player to flunk an NCAA drug test if consumed in high quantities.