University students have shared laughs, memories and alcoholism through playing beer pong, but after recent reports, some students feared they shared herpes through this game, too.A false rumor spread across the Internet in the last three weeks, claiming that sharing unsanitary cups during beer pong can transmit the herpes simplex I virus.The University of Massachusetts’ Daily Collegian helped create this rumor by posting a news story Feb. 22 citing a fake Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report about beer pong-related herpes outbreaks and a fake quote by Michael Crow, Arizona State University president.The article claimed Crow said, “We’re aware that we cannot outright prevent [beer pong], so we have provided new red cups available to all students in the dorms.”Major news outlets such as the Los Angeles NBC news affiliate KNBC and Fox News Network’s “Fox and Friends” later discovered this story and sourced these false articles in their own coverage.This media attention led to both the CDC and ASU publicly denying their involvement as sources for the article.”President Crow has never heard of this and did not make the statement that is attributed to him in the article,” said Terri Shafer, an ASU spokeswoman, during an interview with Ryan Gabrielson of the East Valley Tribune of Phoenix.KNBC later removed the story and posted a short, 50-word correction when the East Valley Tribune inquired about the article.The Daily Collegian revealed it had taken its sources from a Feb. 11 article in Ohio State University’s  student newspaper, The Lantern.After already publishing the article, William McGuinness, the Daily Collegian news editor, discovered the CDC did not employ anyone by the source’s name.Many University students already expressed concern for cleanliness during games of beer pong.”I always think about how many people have drank out of those cups,” said Stacy Simmons, biology freshman.Some students said the ability to spread herpes would raise concerns even more.”I at least always wash the ball and use clean cups,” said Morgan Schmidt, anthropology sophomore. “I’d play less, though, if I could catch herpes.”–Contact Peter Hubbs at [email protected]