With tailgating season just around the corner, LSU fans will have more to look forward to than just football.Anheuser-Busch is coming out with purple and gold Bud Light cans this fall as part of their Team Pride program. The Team Pride program has been supporting team spirit for three years in different regions across the country.”We also have a black and gold one for the [New Orleans] Saints and for Southern [University],” said Chris Davis, vice president of sales at Mockler Beverage Company, the local distributor. Melissa Martin, Winn-Dixie manager, said the grocery store on Burbank Drive will be carrying the cans this year. She said the purple and gold products are seasonal.Sean Boudreaux, petroleum engineering senior, said he will likely buy these new cans for tailgating.”It’s cool that they can specialize in a region,” Boudreaux said. “They actually care and pay attention.”Lisa Lundy, mass communication assistant professor, said in an e-mail to The Daily Reveille that the competition for products such as beer is so high that companies are seeking ways to differentiate their products.”Mockler Beverage is trying to strengthen brand loyalty for Bud Light among LSU supporters,” Lundy said. “This seems like a savvy way to do that. I imagine they are hoping when LSU fans fill up their cooler at the supermarket on the way to tailgate, they’ll choose Bud Light over its competitors because of the LSU tie.”But these cans are not officially affiliated with the University.”My understanding of the program is that it’s a corporate campaign and the local distributors can sell the cans they want,” said Brian Hommel, director of Trademark Licensing. “Just because it’s purple and gold does not mean it’s approved by LSU. We didn’t sell [trademark] rights, we didn’t get money.”Hommel said Anheuser-Busch is coming out with a variety of color schemes that appeal to a wide range of fans.”To my knowledge, they have about 24 different color schemes they’re doing,” Hommel said. “They’re calling it Team Pride. They’re not calling it an LSU can. Places where the color schemes are popular, they’ll sell the cans. This is not just LSU.” Hommel said his department and the Collegiate Licensing Company are monitoring the situation for infringement issues.Hommel said Mockler Beverage Company does have a sponsorship relationship with LSU Athletics through the LSU sports properties. He said Mockler Beverage Company does have rights to utilize certain LSU trademarks, but that the cans are not part of their relationship with LSU Athletics.Roxanne Dill, mass communication instructor, said in an e-mail that as an LSU fan, she never likes to see “gimmicks” that encourage fans to drink alcohol.”I don’t think having purple and gold cans will boost team spirit,” Dill said. “Fans are loyal to the Tigers regardless of whether they drink or not.”Colin Farrell, finance senior, said he doesn’t think these purple and gold cans will tarnish the University’s image or make the University out to be a party school.”People will see that Bud Light has [the purple and gold cans], and they’ll think it’s cool,” Farrell said. “It shows that Budweiser loves LSU and LSU students love Budweiser.”—-Contact Mary Walker Baus at [email protected]