Big 12 Faces Backlash From Doctors Over Monster Energy Patch

One of the more talked-about commercial deals in college football this summer the one the Major 12 agreed to with Monster Energy, reportedly worth $20 million.

Key points

• Per Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today, a "group of doctors and scientists" petitioned the Major 12 and NCAA to halt the conference's partnership with Monster Energy.
• A member of the group, John Higgins, a sports cardiologist with the Houston Rockets and Rice Athletics, informed USA Today that the Sizeable 12 should reconsider the advertising.
• Conference teams will feature a co-branded Monster Energy and Major 12 Conference logo on football and basketball jerseys along with other playing surfaces.
• "Mainstream energy drinks have been marketed worldwide for more than 30 years and more than 100 billion energy drinks have been sold and safely consumed globally, " the statement reads.
• The Major 12 entered into the agreement knowing what Monster Energy was selling.

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As it seemed cheap at the time, the $20 million cost tag drew much of the confusion when the agreement was first confirmed. Not long after, Ohio State signed a $17 million accord with JPMorganChase for patches on its athletic teams. The Monster Energy accord was for all 16 Big-12 programs. More News: Kirk Herbstreit Calls Out Notre Dame for 'Embarrassing' Schedule. More News: Three Teams That Can Win the Major 12. The backlash didn't stop with the cost.

Per Brent Schrotenboer of USA Today, a "group of doctors and scientists" petitioned the Major 12 and NCAA to halt the conference's partnership with Monster Energy. Those doctors and scientists are making the argument that energy drinks are a health risk to young fans.

Meanwhile, a member of the group, John Higgins, a sports cardiologist with the Houston Rockets and Rice Athletics, informed USA Today that the Sizeable 12 should reconsider the advertising. It will reach plenty of young residents.

The reason for focusing on the Big 12 is primarily the scale and demographics of its audience, Higgins remarked. Major 12 games can reach roughly 10-18 million viewers per weekend, with particularly robust exposure among younger fans.

"That makes the conference an especially important environment to examine when considering the marketing and consumption of energy drinks among young people."

In an official note to USA Today, the Major 12 defended the agreement, saying the energy drink category is "not new" to college sports. Monster Energy defended its brand in an official note to USA Today.

"The ingredients in Monster Energy and other mainstream energy drinks – which include caffeine, B vitamins, and other functional ingredients – are discovered in a broad range of familiar food products that have a long history of safe consumption. Monster Energy contains regarding half the caffeine identified in a similarly sized coffee-house coffee."

Notably, the Major 12 entered into the agreement knowing what Monster Energy was selling. The conference is hardly the only entity in college sports selling that doctors might find objectionable. For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.

For now, big 12 Faces Backlash From Doctors Over Monster Energy Patch remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.