Celsius Holdings, a beverage company with the third-most-popular energy drink in the U.S., called “Celsius,” has enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Florida Atlantic University (FAU) and the broader campus community, as its headquarters are located on Federal Highway in Boca Raton, Fla. However, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), a non-profit organization that oversees prominent college sports in the U.S., has banned at least one substance in the ever-more-popular energy drink.

Celsius contains guarana, a plant containing seeds rich in caffeine. Guarana is listed/placed on the NCAA’s 2023-2024 banned substance list as a prohibited caffeine source. According to research from a 2023 study, guarana seeds contain 2% to 8% caffeine, while coffee beans contain 1% to 3% caffeine.

Although the NCAA does not outright ban caffeine, it must be limited according to their standards. A urine sample must contain more than 15 micrograms per milliliter (ug/ml) to test positive for caffeine. This level is typically reached by consuming 500 mg of caffeine, according to the U.S. Olympic Committee, which is a bit over two standard Celsius cans. 

A standard 12 fl oz can of Celsius Vibe or Celsius On-The-Go powder contains 200 mg of caffeine, while a can of Celsius Essentials contains 270 mg of caffeine.

Celsius recommends that customers drink no more than two servings a day.

The company dedicated a webpage to addressing the NCAA’s ban on guarana, explaining what guarana is and featuring a diagram comparing caffeine levels in different energy drink brands and types of coffee. 

The webpage compares a standard can of Celsius to an espresso shot containing 150 mg of caffeine, different Starbucks cup sizes ranging from 80 mg to 325 mg and other energy drink companies such as Ghost (200 mg) and Bang (300 mg).

Adare Quinn, FAU’s director of football performance nutrition, said that FAU student-athletes get drug tested randomly about once a year. 

The penalties for a positive drug test vary by division and type of substance, according to the NCAA website.  For substances other than street drugs, Division I athletes face the loss of one season of competition in all sports. They are also withheld from competition for a minimum of 365 days from the drug test collection date. Division II and III athletes face similar penalties, including the loss of one year of eligibility in addition to the competition ban.

True to its emphasis on active lifestyles, Celsius sponsored an HBCU football game in Miami Gardens last fall. They signed two student-athletes from that game to NIL deals, and at least one FAU student-athlete helped with their marketing efforts last year.

The UP requested access to all materials and documents provided to student-athletes about NCAA-banned substances and Celsius from the university on May 21 but has yet to receive a response. This story will be updated with any relevant information once the documents are received. The NCAA and Celsius did not respond to multiple requests for comment by publication time.

Campus and city ties 

In addition to Celsius, guarana is also an ingredient in Monster Energy, Red Bull and other popular energy drinks. However, Celsius has a plenty of ties to FAU, as its headquarters are based in Boca Raton.

Although FAU spokesperson Joshua Glanzer stated in a June 13 email that “the University does not have an agreement or partnership with Celsius,” the company has a great deal of informal ties to the campus. 

Carl DeSantis (no relation to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis) was an early investor in Celsius and a major donor to FAU. The DeSantis Center Pavilion on the university’s Boca campus bears his name.

His contribution to the company helped get it off the ground, and it has now blossomed into a company with a record revenue of $1.32 billion in 2023. 

“As for any promotion of the drink on campus, the university was not involved nor asked to approve any on-campus activity related to the drink,” Glanzer stated in an email to the University Press.

The Global Business Association, an FAU student-run organization that aims to increase awareness of international economic issues, hosted Celsius executives at an event this past October. There, they discussed supply chain management, social media and work-life balance.

Celsius collaborated with FAU’s Executive Education at the College of Business and Tone-y-Bands for a 2018 event and again in 2023 for a spring gymnastics showcase where FAU’s gymnastics club distributed free Celsius drinks. 

Janice Haley, CEO and founder of Tone-y-Bands, co-founded Celsius with her husband, Steve Haley, in 2004. She now serves as a Tech Runway mentor at FAU.

On March 15, Celsius had staff members at University Park Apartments, a student housing complex in Boca Raton, distribute free Celsius drinks on the university’s Boca campus. 

Emails obtained by the UP via a public records request help detail the company’s importance to the local economy – and in turn, FAU.

Jessica Del Vecchio, economic development manager for the City of Boca Raton, wrote an email in September 2023 inviting Celsius CEO John Fieldly to play as a guest in a TimberTech Pro golf tournament, which took place last November.

“We’re offering you two spots at no cost as a thank you for building such an incredible (and well-known brand) in our beautiful city!” her email read.

In a December 2021 email, Del Vecchio wrote to a Celsius employee, “… sports and fitness related businesses, along with community sporting events, greatly impact the economy of Boca Raton,” and listed Celsius as one of the companies based in Boca Raton, along with Orangetheory and REDCON1.

“I think the reason for [companies choosing Boca Raton] is the education,” said Del Vecchio in an interview with the UP. “Colleges that are here, in Boca, are a built-in workforce. Companies that are coming in want these talented brains, these new ideas.”

Energy drink marketing, NCAA regulations

In March 2023, FAU’s men’s basketball forward Brandon Weatherspoon posted a series of collaborations with Celsius on social media after signing a NIL deal. Weatherspoon, who graduated from FAU this past spring, did not respond to requests for comment.

“Social media and younger generations are one of the main ways people are getting their information, their news and their marketing persuasion,” said Angeline Scheinbaum, a sports marketing professor at Clemson University.

Scheinbaum highlighted the effectiveness of this marketing approach for student-athlete careers in the NIL era.

“A lot of this is really through image transfer, which is a psychological mechanism that means that young people especially might have an affinity for certain athletes and/or certain sports,” Scheinbaum said. “When marketing strategies are doing campaigns grounded in those specific sports and/or athletes, the positive effect generally towards the sport or the athlete can transfer to a product of a brand that is associated with that celebrity and the campaign.”

Quinn, who specializes in nutrition for football players at FAU, agrees with Scheinbaum that social media promotion of caffeine consumption can increase company sales. Celsius is the most frequently discussed caffeine-related product among student-athletes, she said, but she advises against athletes having deals with caffeine brands.

“If one of my athletes had a deal with Celsius, I’d be like, ‘Hey, this is not a good look for you, and it’s not a good look for me.’ None of my team members have NIL deals with caffeine brands,” Quinn said.

Recognizing the influence of endorsements, Scheinbaum emphasized that companies have an ethical responsibility to ensure product safety.

“I do think it’s ethical for companies and brands that if they become aware of something that could be potentially harmful, to change the formula or shut it down,” Scheinbaum said.

Echoing this sentiment, Sam Ehrlich, a professor at Boise State University whose research focuses on the sports industry’s legalities, highlighted the importance of ethical advertising practices. 

“I think there are a lot of ethical implications,” Ehrlich said. “Energy drinks have to be careful about what they’re advertising, as something that’s going to improve your performance versus just something that’s just a drink.”

Celsius has had its share of legal battles in recent years, branding itself as a healthy alternative to other energy drinks that fit with those who have active lifestyles. In February 2023, the company settled a lawsuit that asserted they engaged in misleading marketing practices. One month prior, rapper Flo Rida sued the company for breaking its endorsement deal with him. 

Robert Boland, a law professor at Seton Hall University, shed light on the NCAA’s approach to regulating substances like guarana.

“Guarana has stimulant capabilities. While it’s legal and it can be used, the NCAA as an entity looks at it as having a performance-enhancing effect,” Boland said. “The same thing is true of over-the-counter medications in some cases, and the NCAA has its own anti-doping, anti-performance-enhancing drug policy that most Olympic sports have. It’s not the same, but it’s similar.”

Caffeine and athlete consumption

Student-athletes heavily consume caffeinated beverages because of their busy lifestyles, so Quinn finds it important to educate them on the effects.

“Some adverse effects [from excessive caffeine consumption] are heart problems. And also, dehydration is big; caffeine dehydrates you,” said Quinn, who believes the NCAA bans caffeine primarily for health reasons. “In South Florida, I’m already worried about dehydration without even the added effect of caffeine.”

The NCAA has the power to regulate substances, but to do so is a significant act, says Ehrlich.

“[Banning substances is] a big deal. Usually in the professional ranks, you do this through collective bargaining; you kind of negotiate with the players unions, about which substances are going to be banned,” Ehrlich said. “It’s all about player safety, competitive balance and competitive integrity.” 

Boland is unsure about the exact impact that guarana might have on the body, but he feels the NCAA has banned it and substances like it because they may provide a boost to athletic performance. 

“The history of it has been providing an even playing field. We’ve had doping scandals in sports going back into the 1930s when testosterone was first isolated,” he said. “The public wants to have a certain confidence that the athletes… are competing naturally and on the same level, not enhanced because one found a better chemical cocktail than another.”

Laurie Mermet is the Student Life Editor for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or DM laurie.mmt on Instagram.