Overview
- A group of more than 20 doctors and scientists formally petitioned the Big 12 and the NCAA on Thursday, Aug. 20, to pause youth-facing activations of the conference’s new Monster Energy deal and to commission an independent pediatric and cardiovascular review.
- The contested agreement, announced in July and reported at about $20 million a year, will place Monster branding on player jerseys, football fields and basketball courts and pays each member school more than $1 million under the entitlement model.
- The Big 12 and Monster have defended the partnership as routine commercial activity and said they plan to proceed, while the NCAA has declined to intervene and has pointed to member-driven governance for any policy change.
- The doctors cite studies and three reported teen cardiac deaths linked to energy drinks, note that some governments restrict sales to minors, and stress the tension with NCAA rules that bar schools from providing high-caffeine products to athletes.
- The dispute highlights a larger shift in college sports funding after the NCAA loosened limits on energy-drink advertising earlier in 2026 and leaves open whether the Big 12 board or member schools will review the deal before fall competition.