[Goose]

It doesn't bother me if that's what it takes to let the kids play.  I'd rather it be the "Stanford University Wrestling Team presented by Apple" than no team at all.

It bothers me quite a bit. If the "team" is "presented by", whose team is it, Stanford's or Apple's? Who controls it, Apple or Stanford? I think that is a big problem. It also means that the players are flogging for a product or company that they didn't chose and may not even support. Even if they did, the company may change mid-season if there are "commercial" reasons to do so. They may be flogging for Samsung next year, or next week. We tell the players "It is the name on the front of your jersey, not the name on the back that matters". What if the name on the front is a hybrid of Stanford and Apple?

I also continue to believe that this model is unsustainable because it doesn't actually sell enough product. Companies will eventually figure out that supporting University sports is in general ineffective in boosting sales and quit doing it, particularly for Olympic sports. Re-balancing the costs with the desire to compete is necessary. Selling sponsorships for teams the players love and the public has never heard of just isn't going to work.

[Goose]

It doesn't bother me if that's what it takes to let the kids play.  I'd rather it be the "Stanford University Wrestling Team presented by Apple" than no team at all.

It bothers me quite a bit. If the "team" is "presented by", whose team is it, Stanford's or Apple's? Who controls it, Apple or Stanford? I think that is a big problem. It also means that the players are flogging for a product or company that they didn't chose and may not even support. Even if they did, the company may change mid-season if there are "commercial" reasons to do so. They may be flogging for Samsung next year, or next week. We tell the players "It is the name on the front of your jersey, not the name on the back that matters". What if the name on the front is a hybrid of Stanford and Apple?

I also continue to believe that this model is unsustainable because it doesn't actually sell enough product. Companies will eventually figure out that supporting University sports is in general ineffective in boosting sales and quit doing it, particularly for Olympic sports. Re-balancing the costs with the desire to compete is necessary. Selling sponsorships for teams the players love and the public has never heard of just isn't going to work.