CNNSI.com - College Basketball - Men - NCAA sues Coors for Final Four ticket promotion Wednesday November 28, 2001 07:42 PM

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- The NCAA has filed a federal lawsuit against Coors Brewing Co., accusing it of giving away Final Four tickets as part of a promotion without the NCAA's permission. The complaint, filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Indianapolis, seeks unspecified monetary damages and a court order to prevent Coors from offering NCAA men's basketball tournament tickets in future contests.

It alleges that Golden, Colo.-based Coors engaged in trademark infringement and unfair competition when it gave away four tickets to the 2001 Final Four during a "Coors Light Tourney Time Sweepstakes."

NCAA spokesman Wally Renfro said the tickets were offered without permission.

Each ticket sold to Final Four games carries a statement on the reverse side that it cannot be used in a promotion or offered as a prize in a sweepstakes or contest without the NCAA's permission, he said.

"It's put on there for a purpose," Renfro said.

The NCAA learned of Coors' sweepstakes promotion last spring near the end of the Final Four in Minneapolis.

The Indianapolis-based college sports governing body advised Coors at that time to drop the tickets from its promotion and to also stop using phrases similar to trademarks held by the NCAA -- including "Final Four," "March Madness" and "NCAA."

Coors refused to alter its promotion, Renfro said.

"The heart of the matter is that Coors has unfairly used the association's marks for its own promotions and as prizes for its promotions and has traded on the good name of the NCAA," he said.

Coors spokesman Hilary Martin said Wednesday that she had left several messages with Coors officials to comment on the lawsuit. By early evening, none had returned those phone calls, which were left at the request of The Associated Press.

Renfro said that after months of correspondence with Coors, the NCAA was forced to take the matter to court because the beer company had indicated it would sponsor a similar contest again this season.

Aside from the trademark infringement and other concerns, the lawsuit states that if Coors continues its promotion, it could subject future winners of its ticket giveaway to possibly being ejected or refused entry to the games.

Such a circumstance "would greatly tarnish and dilute the NCAA's valuable goodwill," the lawsuit stated.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the NCAA and Host Communications of Lexington, Ky., which handles corporate marketing rights to Final Four games for the NCAA.