THC seltzer to be advertised at Division I games in 'landmark collaboration' with University of Louisville
Some THC products were made legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, according to the company behind the seltzers.
The University of Louisville has struck a partnership with Cornbread Hemp, making it the first Division I program in the nation to feature THC beverage advertising at athletic events.
The company announced Friday that its THC seltzers will now be promoted at Louisville games in what it called a “landmark collaboration” that brings the psychoactive drinks into mainstream college sports culture. In the press release, Cornbread Hemp CEO Eric Zipperle described the deal as more than just branding, calling it a reflection of Louisville’s “spirit of innovation and hospitality.”
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Cornbread says its drinks were made completely legal under the 2018 Farm Bill, stating that if “THC drinks are made from hemp and contain less than 0.3% THC by weight, they are federally legal.”
The move raises questions about whether the sponsorship squares with NCAA promotional standards. The NCAA’s Advertising and Promotional Guidelines prohibit associations with certain products, including marijuana and some supplements . The rules also explicitly ban advertising from companies whose products could bring “discredit to the purposes, values or principles of the NCAA.”
For Louisville, the deal fits neatly into the area’s reputation as a hub for alcohol and adult beverages. With this “bourbon heritage” behind it, the university appears eager to embrace the next wave of “adult” consumer products.
As hemp-derived THC products spread rapidly through state markets, schools that embrace sponsorships may gain a financial edge in an era when athletic departments are increasingly cash-strapped. But blurring the line between federally legal hemp products and marijuana risks normalizing drug use on college campuses, especially following the removal of cannabinoids from the NCAA’s list of prohibited drugs.
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If the deal holds, Louisville could set a precedent for other universities to follow, potentially reshaping what types of companies are allowed to advertise in college athletics.
If struck down, it could instead serve as a high-profile warning that the NCAA is not ready to relax its restrictions on cannabis-related products, no matter how lucrative the sponsorship may be.
Campus Reform has reached out to the University of Louisville for comment and will update this story as new information becomes available.
