Will football jerseys look like stock cars?

Will football jerseys look like stock cars?

Fans of NASCAR racing are used to it. Professional soccer enthusiasts know nothing else.

Football fans really don’t want to be bothered by it and, by the looks of things their wishes will stay true. For now.

Advertising on jerseys has been a recent topic of debate among all major sports. It’s an outlet for added revenue, but a defector that stands in the way of tradition and purist’s desires.

Earlier this month, Roger Goodell and the NFL shut down any prospect of ads littering game jerseys.

“It’s not something that’s actively being considered in the NFL,” Goodell told the Detroit Free Press. “We like the look that we have on the field. We have a very limited number of partners on our field in general, much less on the uniform, and we think that’s right for the NFL.”

Currently, the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans sport practice jerseys with ads. They can’t be larger than 31/2 by 41/2 inches and can’t be worn in preseason games.

Basically, only local television cameras have the ability to capture the ads in action.

Since high school football here in northeastern Ohio isn’t a multi-million dollar industry, why not boost the incomes of local programs and showcase businesses on jerseys every Friday night?

Because it’s against the rules.

“Uniforms are off limits thanks to Ohio High School Athletic Association Sports Regulation No. 16,” OHSAA spokesman Tim Stried said.

That rule states: Any lettering or emblems on uniforms must pertain to the school name, school nickname, individual’s name, the sport, drug-use prevention, sportsmanship, ethics or integrity or be of a patriotic nature.

There are also regulations on visible manufacturer logos and where it’s placed on the garment. Addidas, Nike, Rawlings and Russell are the most commonly used brands with Mahoning Valley teams. In 2010, Ursuline was one of 57 schools nationwide to be awarded by Under Armour’s “Undeniable” program.

Brookfield and Hubbard also sport Under Armour-made uniforms.

For programs looking for other ways to profit, athletic facilities are “fair game,” Stried said.

“Of course, schools are committed to pursue deals if they wish,” he said.

In Indiana, a Chevrolet dealership owns a corporate sponsorship of Noblestown High’s football stadium. Massachusetts’s Gloucester High announced that naming rights for its newly renovated stadium can be purchased for $500,000. Boston.com first reported the story on Aug. 9, since then there haven’t been any takers.

Just outside of Dayton, Careflight Field will soon be home to the Springboro High Panthers. Sandusky Strobel Field at Cedar Point Stadium, Clayton Northmont Good Samaritan Stadium, Mason Dwire Field at Atrium Stadium and Green Infocision Field are the only other high school-specific sponsored stadiums.

There are always opportunities for high school athletic departments to raise funds. My freshman basketball team sold magazine subscriptions to pay for our shoes (they were the slickest on the market, obviously). But bake sells, raffle tickets and car washes can fade out.

Truthfully, I don’t see the harm in slapping a small advertisement on a jersey, at any level.

If the money is there (and eventually allowed), by all means, take it.

Matt Peaslee covers sports for The Vindicator. Email him at mpeaslee@vindy.com