LINCOLN — Oil pipeline politics and football apparently don't mix.
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln announced Wednesday that it was severing its agreement with crude-oil pipeline developer TransCanada Inc. to run advertising on the huge video screens at Memorial Stadium.
Athletic Director Tom Osborne said in a statement that athletic events are designed to "entertain and unify our fan base" and not be "divisive."
"We have certain principles regarding advertising in the stadium, such as no alcohol, tobacco or gambling advertisements. We also avoid ads of a political nature," he stated.
TransCanada is the developer of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline, which has drawn opposition because it would cross Nebraska's fragile Sand Hills.
Gov. Dave Heineman recently called on the Obama administration to reject the 36-inch pipeline because of its route and the potential for contaminating the rich groundwater of the Sand Hills, including the Ogallala Aquifer.
A TransCanada spokesman said the decision was disappointing. He questioned what was political about the ads, which featured stories about the so-called "pipeline" of star offensive linemen built at Nebraska over past decades.
"The ads really celebrated the history of Husker football. They were simply sponsored by TransCanada. There was no mention of any particular pipeline," said spokesman Jeff Rauh. "They were not political in nature at all."
Response to the ads within the stadium was subdued when they were displayed during the Huskers' first two games. Such video of former Husker stars normally gets hearty applause and cheers from Memorial Stadium fans.
TransCanada negotiated a contract last April with IMG/Husker Sports Network, which handles UNL's media rights, to run ads throughout the football season.
Osborne, a former U.S. congressman who represented the region the pipeline would cross, said the pipeline wasn't much of a political issue then but is now.
He emphasized that the athletic department had no position, pro or con, regarding the pipeline.
Osborne declined to comment beyond his statement. It was unclear if the university received complaints about the ads.
Rauh said TransCanada has had a presence in Nebraska since the 1980s and now employs between 30 and 40 workers in the state. The company's U.S. headquarters is in Omaha, and it operates an existing 30-inch pipeline, the Keystone I, that crosses eastern Nebraska.
Jim McClurg of Lincoln, a member of the NU Board of Regents, said he trusted the athletic department to rule when an ad wasn't appropriate.
But McClurg said he was concerned about the concept of pulling advertising that might have a political aspect.
"If we feel obliged to pull advertising due to the reaction, where does it stop?" he said, noting that some people object to fast food, which is the subject of a lot of advertising.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9584, paul.hammel@owh.com
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