ICSA Sponsorship Guidelines
Adopted June 1989; as amended through June 1997
1. Sponsorship arrangements for any of the six North American
Championships or for the ICSA All America Sailing Team shall be approved by the ICSA. Negotiations regarding the terms of sponsorship shall be conducted by the President or other designated ICSA officer. Contracts shall be signed by the President or other ICSA officer.
2. Any sponsorship agreement shall include a percentage to be
retained by ICSA for administrative costs or other suitable use.
3. Title sponsorship is established at the following levels:
| North American Dingy Championship | $25,000 |
|---|---|
| North American Women's Championship | $10,000 |
| North American Team Race Championship | $10,000 |
| North American Sloop Championship | $10,000 |
| North American Men's Singlehanded Championship | $10,000 |
| North American Women's Singlehanded Championship | $10,000 |
| ICSA All America Sailing Team | $25,000 |
4. Any title sponsored event shall be designated as the "ICSA/
(Sponsor's name) North American Championship". Similarly, if titled sponsored, the designation "ICSA/(Sponsor's name) All America Sailing Team" shall be used. There shall be only one title sponsor for any single event or for the Team.
5. If no title sponsor has been secured, non-title sponsorship
for any Championship or the Team is available at levels to be mutually agreed upon. If a title sponsor has been secured, additional non-title sponsorship from non-competing sources may be permitted. A non-title sponsor shall be listed in regatta programs and press releases as "sponsor" or "co-sponsor" (thus: The 2000 ICSA North American Dinghy Championship, Sponsored by ".) More than one non-title sponsor may be secured for a single event or for the Team. Lower levels of support shall be recognized by the designation "Supporter", "Supplier", "Contributor", or similar.
6. It shall be an underlying principle that no individual
sailor or team, nor the ICSA itself, shall promote, advertise, or endorse any commercial product or service in return for sponsorship. The names and/or pictures of college Sailors shall not be used in advertisements or endorsements. However, such names and/or pictures may appear in an advertisement of a title sponsor's business, product, or service provided that the primary purpose of the advertisement is to publicize the sponsor's congratulations to the sailor(s) or team(s) for their success and provided also that the advertisement does not include a reproduction of any product or description of any service other than the sponsor's name or trademark.
7. Sponsorship arrangements with promise of continuing
support shall be preferred.
8. Whenever possible, sponsorship arrangements shall be
designated to provide the ICSA's member colleges some benefit beyond that enjoyed directly by participants in the sponsored events or by members of the All America Sailing Team.
9. In no event shall sponsorship include the providing of
cash prizes in any amount. Any merchandise, souvenirs, or mementos provided to individual sailors in recognition of performance shall not exceed a value of $100 per person.
10. Signage shall be permitted on Bails and/or hulls only in
accordance with the Racing Rules of Sailing, Section II, Appendix 1 (ISAF Advertising Code). Subject to host site policies, signage may be permitted on shore or at a banquet or awards ceremony site. Logos on racing marks may be permitted.
11. In the event that any District wishes to arrange
sponsorship for any of its District events, District sponsorship arrangements shall be consistent with the above guidelines.
SPONSORSHIP ISSUES AND FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
In their efforts to find sources of funding, college sailing teams and clubs are increasingly asking questions concerning sponsorship. The prospect of securing funds to support daily operations and to make traveling to away regattas easier is alluring, but there are certain issues that must be carefully considered. The following are some of the questions most frequently asked by member colleges exploring the possibilities of sponsorship.
1. What are ICSA's rules concerning sponsorship?
Except for the "Sponsoring Guidelines for ICSA North American Championships and the ICSA All America Sailing Team" (see Guidelines for Sponsorship), ICSA has no rules concerning sponsorship. Note, however, that, if a District enters into any sponsorship arrangements for District events, those arrangements must be consistent with the Guidelines for the North Americans. ICSA does not have any rules concerning sponsorship of a team or club.
2. Are there other rules concerning sponsorship that might apply?
RRS Section II, Appendix l--ISAF Advertising Code applies. Since all ICSA events are considered to be Appendix 1, the rules govern permissible signage to sails and hulls. These rules apply only to "events" and while racing; they do not apply to what a team/club may do in practice.
The NCAA has very detailed and specific regulations regarding sponsorship which are much more restrictive than Appendix 1, and a significant number of sailing colleges are required by their institutions to comply with the NCAA rules. Other conferences or leagues, or the individual institutions themselves, may have yet more limiting rules. Such NCAA and other rules most often limit sponsor identification that is permitted on equipment and clothing and forbid anything that can be construed as advertisement for, or endorsement of, any product or service.
3. If Company X sponsors a team, can the company advertise
that "Team Y wears Company X earmuffs"?
ICSA rules do not prohibit such, but NCAA and similar conference rules do. Furthermore, the use of photographs, names or images of team members in such an advertisement would result in the sailors being ruled ineligible by the NCAA or conference and in disciplinary action against the team's college. While clubs/teams not complying with NCAA or conference rules may, in essence, do as they wish in this regard, they need to be sensitive to the circumstances of any team sailing at their site. Photographs of visiting sailors used in a published advertisement may render those sailors ineligible.
4. What can be offered to a sponsor without causing
difficulty for anyone?
You must check with your athletic department, club sports office, or student activities office. In addition to conference rules, some colleges have very strict licensing policies concerning the use of the college name.
Things that mayor may not be permitted:
- Placing a small donor's plaque inside a hull
- Displaying on the transom a name generally identified with
the sponsor - Logos on support craft or racing marks
- Naming part or all of a facility after a sponsor
- Naming a hosted regatta after a sponsor (District approval
might be required) - Allowing the sponsor to be identified in advertisements as,
e.g., "Earmuff Supplier to Team Y" or to use that designation on company stationery. - Setting up a product display during a regatta and
addressing the competitors at an appropriate time - Providing t-shirts or other tokens to team members and/or
competing sailors (NCAA rules are restrictive in this regard)
5. Could a sponsor establish a scholarship?
No. The ICSA Procedural Rules specifically prohibit any student from receiving financial aid based on sailing ability.
6. Could a sponsor pay for traveling expenses?
The answer depends on whether the team complies with NCAA and conference rules or not; ICSA has no regulations governing this. In general, individual sailors would be well advised not to accept direct payment of any sort from a sponsor. If a sponsor wishes specifically to contribute to traveling expenses, the funds should be paid to the athletic department, club sports office, or student activities office for appropriate disbursement to the team/club.
7. Are certain types of sponsors prohibited?
ICSA will not accept sponsorship from alcohol or tobacco companies. Some general advice if your club/team chooses to seek corporate sponsorship:
- Do not sell identification with your club/team too cheaply
- Do not promise to do anything that you cannot do, but be
sure to do what you promise. - Try always to establish a relationship that will last more
than season or a year. - Potential sponsors may react more favorably to a proposal
that focuses on developing a facility or a program than to a proposal simply to support this year's "Regatta Z" - Make sure you clear things with the appropriate college
office before you approach a potential sponsor. - To discuss these issues in greater detail, contact the
ICSA President.
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