An Untested Principle

Staples says Harvard's decision not to engage in corporate sponsorship in sports is purely a matter of principle, although he knows that some schools need a corporate presence in their sports program to survive--making all matters of principle irrelevant.

"There's a lot of schools where corporate advertising is a necessity," he says. "They have to do corporate marketing in order to compete."

But Staples says only schools in major athletic conferences are in this type of situation. He says no Ivy League school is currently in a financial situation where advertising is necessary.

Harvard's principled stance is--at the very least--made easier by financial security. The Athletic Department receives $12 million last year from FAS.

"[FAS] probably puts more money into the sports program than any university in America," says John P. Reardon, the executive director of the Harvard Alumni Association and a former Harvard athletic director.

But if that money were taken away, or if potential revenues from corporate advertising suddenly skyrocketed, Reardon says Harvard would have to closely examine just how important its principle is.

"It you're put into a corner where you need revenues, then you have to consider revenues. And if Coca-Cola offers you a million dollars a year to put a sign on your scoreboard, you'd have to have a debate about that."