Mark Lewin wrote:
> I don't know whether this is truth or legend but here is my take on the
> situation:
> 
> Many years ago, RPI started a tradition called the Big Red Freakout in
> February of each year. At the BRF, fans were given souvenirs of the game and
> encouraged to wear red and scream like hell.  For the first several years,
> things were given out like cow bells and those long plastic horns.  Since
> the freakout is sold out most years, imagine 5500 fans all with cowbells or
> other artificial noisemakers.
> 
> One of the teams who was unfortunate enough to be RPI's opponents during
> those early years was Brown University who were coached by Bob Gaudet at the
> time. Bob Gaudet also served on the NCAA rules committee during that
> period.  After his team was victimized by RPI fans for 3 or 4 years, the
> NCAA rules committee passed a rule stating that no artificial noisemakers
> could be handed out at games and was further extended that none could be
> brought into the arena during the game.  Legend has it that Bob Gaudet was
> instrumental in bringing this rule about and has since become known as the
> "RPI rule".  Since that time, the freakout gifts have been non-noisemakers
> which are pretty lame. But I must admit, 5500 cowbells is enough to impact
> one's hearing for many days after the game.

That is not how the rule is written now, although I can't recall if it 
was written differently in previous years.  The rules for competition 
only prohibit the use of artificial noisemakers while the game is in 
progress.  There is no prohibition on them being present, nor on being 
used while the game is not in progress, nor any differentiation between 
spectators and the band.  Indeed, during this season, Notre Dame had 
giveaways of both cowbells and plastic horns.

If RPI has discontinued giving away cowbells or plastic horns, perhaps 
it is because they had problems with their use during play and 
subsequent penalization.

The relevant rule on the books is rule 6-30a.  I wasn't able to find 
"noisemakers" anywhere else in the text.