NCAA team logos on Poker Chips
Looks like the NCAA dont like the fact that some schools allowed the makers of certain poker chips to sport their logos.
NCAA doesn't know whether to hold 'em or fold 'em
CBS SportsLine.com
As Final Four fever takes hold in Indianapolis this week, it's easier to buy officially licensed LSU poker chips than it is bootleg LSU potato chips.
Just so you know priorities are in order.
Not exactly, as far as the NCAA is concerned. As it gamely fights against the evils of gambling, it is increasingly difficult to get its arms around the width and breadth of the problem.
Look at a SkyMall magazine on your next flight. SkyMall is that catalogue tucked into seat pockets advertising everything from wind chimes to car vacuums. On page 130D in the lower left-hand corner of a recent slick, four-color magazine is a set of "casino-style" poker chips available with the logos of 14 different major college teams from the SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten.
'Power' chips: The NCAA doesn't like 'em,
but programs like Georgia license 'em.
For $89.95 you can get your own "NCAA Clay Power Chips," because "Poker makes the party perfect."
To sum up: This might be the only place you'll ever see the words "casino" "NCAA" and "poker" together in the same place and used to sell product.
There's little the NCAA, bent on protecting its athletes from gambling, can do about it.
"It's not something we would encourage or recommend," said the NCAA's Rachel Newman-Baker when the ad was described to her over the phone. Newman-Baker is the first-year director of agent, gambling and amateurism for the NCAA.
"We have no control -- if that's the right word -- over those institutions...Unfortunately, our legislation doesn't preclude it. You have to make an institutional decision."
So what about those schools hawking poker chips? Retailers have to secure licenses from the schools to sell the logoed products. Schools rabidly protect their licenses to the point that NCAA-hired law enforcement officials will be out in force in Indianapolis this weekend looking for bootleg souvenirs. It is part of the contract between the NCAA and The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), the NCAA's licensing agent for its championships.
"Certainly we never thought or (foresaw) those chips being used in Las Vegas," said Pat Battle, CLC's president and CEO. "It's a hot category obviously with all the things being used on (televised poker shows). Some schools felt like it wasn't associated with gambling in any way. Others thought the connotation was too close."
Of 14 schools available, LSU is the only Final Four school offering poker chips according to the SkyMall ad. The other 13: Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee.
"They've done well for us," Eoin Comerford said of the poker chips. Comerford is president of the listed retailer, AJ Prindle of Louisiana, Mo.
Michigan, Miami and Nebraska have since pulled their licenses, Comerford said. A Georgia official told SportsLine.com it pulled its license eight months ago.
LSU is in the process of getting out of the poker chip business. Brian Hommel, the school's trademark licensing director, said the previous deal was struck by his predecessor and will be allowed to expire.
"Since I have been here in August, I have not approved anything gambling related or alcohol related or drugs, tobacco, firearms, you name it," Hommel said. "I've seen some poker chips out there but they were licensed for a real brief window. There's not much recourse we have on that."
"It's not something we condone."
But schools like Florida State are still in the game. That's the same Florida State where former quarterback Adrian McPherson pled no contest to theft and gambling charges four years ago. He spent 90 days on a prison work detail.
The school's university relations department approved granting the license for the poker chips according to Sherri Dye, FSU's director of trademark licensing. That department oversees Dye.
"It's (poker) a game, it doesn't have to involve money," Dye said. "It doesn't have to involve gambling per se.
"We are of the position that we can't bring too many assumptions with what is going to be done with the product. Typically that's not a product that is marketed toward students anyway."
The NCAA disagrees. It is aggressively pursuing an information campaign against gambling. FBI agents and a staffer addressed each of the Sweet 16 teams on the dangers of gambling and point shaving.
Athletes caught shaving points lose eligibility for a minimum of a year. An athlete caught gambling on his own school in any sport permanently loses eligibility.
"From the chair that I'm sitting in I can provide you with reasons why I don't think it's a good idea," Newman-Baker said of the chips. "But on your campus it's your decision."
But there are conflicts everywhere. The NCAA is a partner with ESPN, which has reacted to, enabled and profited from the poker boom. Ratings soared when the network (and other outlets) began televising card savants with bad hygiene and colorful names playing Texas Hold 'Em. The network even produced a TV show centered around Las Vegas poker players.
"Most schools, if they had approved a license may have approved to a licensee two or three years ago," said Alan Thomas, head of licensing at Georgia. "Now that the poker craze has caught on, it's caused more of a stir."
Some schools don't stop at poker chips? FSU is among those that market shot glasses and beer mugs. The NCAA, which casts a wary eye toward beer commercials for the Final Four, once again is powerless in the case of individual schools.
"We've long, long, long approved shot glasses which I always thought was ironic when we got into some of the other stuff," Dye said.
Atlanta-based CLC negotiates licensing agreements representing approximately 200 schools. Schools then approve the products that will carry their athletic logo. After securing a license, a retailer then can advertise it is an official license holder.
That carries a cache with the consumer.
In the end, it's all in the eye of the rights holder.
CBS SportsLine.com
As Final Four fever takes hold in Indianapolis this week, it's easier to buy officially licensed LSU poker chips than it is bootleg LSU potato chips.
Just so you know priorities are in order.
Not exactly, as far as the NCAA is concerned. As it gamely fights against the evils of gambling, it is increasingly difficult to get its arms around the width and breadth of the problem.
Look at a SkyMall magazine on your next flight. SkyMall is that catalogue tucked into seat pockets advertising everything from wind chimes to car vacuums. On page 130D in the lower left-hand corner of a recent slick, four-color magazine is a set of "casino-style" poker chips available with the logos of 14 different major college teams from the SEC, ACC, Big 12 and Big Ten.
'Power' chips: The NCAA doesn't like 'em,
but programs like Georgia license 'em.
For $89.95 you can get your own "NCAA Clay Power Chips," because "Poker makes the party perfect."
To sum up: This might be the only place you'll ever see the words "casino" "NCAA" and "poker" together in the same place and used to sell product.
There's little the NCAA, bent on protecting its athletes from gambling, can do about it.
"It's not something we would encourage or recommend," said the NCAA's Rachel Newman-Baker when the ad was described to her over the phone. Newman-Baker is the first-year director of agent, gambling and amateurism for the NCAA.
"We have no control -- if that's the right word -- over those institutions...Unfortunately, our legislation doesn't preclude it. You have to make an institutional decision."
So what about those schools hawking poker chips? Retailers have to secure licenses from the schools to sell the logoed products. Schools rabidly protect their licenses to the point that NCAA-hired law enforcement officials will be out in force in Indianapolis this weekend looking for bootleg souvenirs. It is part of the contract between the NCAA and The Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), the NCAA's licensing agent for its championships.
"Certainly we never thought or (foresaw) those chips being used in Las Vegas," said Pat Battle, CLC's president and CEO. "It's a hot category obviously with all the things being used on (televised poker shows). Some schools felt like it wasn't associated with gambling in any way. Others thought the connotation was too close."
Of 14 schools available, LSU is the only Final Four school offering poker chips according to the SkyMall ad. The other 13: Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Georgia, Kansas, Kansas State, Kentucky, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Penn State, Tennessee.
"They've done well for us," Eoin Comerford said of the poker chips. Comerford is president of the listed retailer, AJ Prindle of Louisiana, Mo.
Michigan, Miami and Nebraska have since pulled their licenses, Comerford said. A Georgia official told SportsLine.com it pulled its license eight months ago.
LSU is in the process of getting out of the poker chip business. Brian Hommel, the school's trademark licensing director, said the previous deal was struck by his predecessor and will be allowed to expire.
"Since I have been here in August, I have not approved anything gambling related or alcohol related or drugs, tobacco, firearms, you name it," Hommel said. "I've seen some poker chips out there but they were licensed for a real brief window. There's not much recourse we have on that."
"It's not something we condone."
But schools like Florida State are still in the game. That's the same Florida State where former quarterback Adrian McPherson pled no contest to theft and gambling charges four years ago. He spent 90 days on a prison work detail.
The school's university relations department approved granting the license for the poker chips according to Sherri Dye, FSU's director of trademark licensing. That department oversees Dye.
"It's (poker) a game, it doesn't have to involve money," Dye said. "It doesn't have to involve gambling per se.
"We are of the position that we can't bring too many assumptions with what is going to be done with the product. Typically that's not a product that is marketed toward students anyway."
The NCAA disagrees. It is aggressively pursuing an information campaign against gambling. FBI agents and a staffer addressed each of the Sweet 16 teams on the dangers of gambling and point shaving.
Athletes caught shaving points lose eligibility for a minimum of a year. An athlete caught gambling on his own school in any sport permanently loses eligibility.
"From the chair that I'm sitting in I can provide you with reasons why I don't think it's a good idea," Newman-Baker said of the chips. "But on your campus it's your decision."
But there are conflicts everywhere. The NCAA is a partner with ESPN, which has reacted to, enabled and profited from the poker boom. Ratings soared when the network (and other outlets) began televising card savants with bad hygiene and colorful names playing Texas Hold 'Em. The network even produced a TV show centered around Las Vegas poker players.
"Most schools, if they had approved a license may have approved to a licensee two or three years ago," said Alan Thomas, head of licensing at Georgia. "Now that the poker craze has caught on, it's caused more of a stir."
Some schools don't stop at poker chips? FSU is among those that market shot glasses and beer mugs. The NCAA, which casts a wary eye toward beer commercials for the Final Four, once again is powerless in the case of individual schools.
"We've long, long, long approved shot glasses which I always thought was ironic when we got into some of the other stuff," Dye said.
Atlanta-based CLC negotiates licensing agreements representing approximately 200 schools. Schools then approve the products that will carry their athletic logo. After securing a license, a retailer then can advertise it is an official license holder.
That carries a cache with the consumer.
In the end, it's all in the eye of the rights holder.
