Aurora Parents, Doctors Sound Alarm on Monster Energy’s Big 12 Tie-Up
AURORA, Colo. — With the Colorado Buffaloes now charging through their first Big 12 season, the conference’s flashy new partner is drawing serious scrutiny from local exam rooms. The American Academy of Pediatrics and a coalition of ER physicians have formally asked the Big 12 to hit pause on its sponsorship deal with Monster Energy, citing a spike in pediatric caffeine overdoses linked to the brand’s high-octane drinks.
For Aurora families shuttling kids between soccer at Aurora Sports Park and late-night study sessions at Martin Luther King Jr. Library, the warning hits close to home. A single 16-ounce can of Monster packs 160mg of caffeine—roughly two cups of coffee—and many teens down two or three before first period at Rangeview or Grandview.
“We’re seeing tachycardia, anxiety attacks, and even cardiac events in otherwise healthy 14-year-olds,” says Dr. Elena Ruiz, a pediatric cardiologist at Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Anschutz campus, just minutes from Aurora’s city center. “The Big 12 logo on the can makes it look like athletic fuel. It’s not.”
The conference hasn’t commented, but the pressure is building. Last month, the NCAA’s own sports-science institute urged schools to “reconsider energy-drink partnerships” after a 2023 study tied weekly consumption to a 40% jump in adolescent ER visits.
With CU Boulder games now airing on ESPN+ and Monster logos plastered on sideline coolers, Aurora parents are asking a simple question: Why is a conference that markets “student-athlete wellness” selling a product the AAP says has “no place in the diet of children”?
Know a teen crushing cans before practice? Share this with their coach—and maybe swap the Monster for a water bottle from Aurora Water’s refill stations.
