Akron fan's 'OC For A Day' drive ends with fumble — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Marty Whims won Akron's viral 'Offensive Coordinator For A Day' contest and called the Zips' first offensive drive against Robert Morris, which picked up a first down and appeared to have a second deep in Colonials territory before receiver Marcel Williams fumbled
- Akron's contest generated more than a billion social media impressions and helped the school sell more than half of its total season tickets in the two weeks following the announcement, per deputy athletics director Matt Pottorff
- Arby's signed on as a sponsor of the contest event, a notable commercial win for a program that had averaged about 6,000 fans per game
- Whims learned he'd been selected among 10 finalists on Aug. 19 — his 46th birthday — via a call from athletics director Andrew Goodrich
- Head coach Joe Moorhead had Whims spend several hours watching film and scripting plays before the game, and Whims also appeared on ESPN's 'College GameDay' and received advice from Nick Saban
- Whims entered the Akron locker room, listened to Moorhead's pregame speech, and led the team onto the field before retreating to the stands to watch the rest of the game with his three sons, Jacoby, Zach and Ryan
Why it matters: For a program averaging roughly 6,000 fans per game, the contest drove more than half of total season-ticket sales in two weeks and attracted an Arby's sponsorship — a tangible revenue and visibility lift that the school's viral marketing gambit delivered well beyond a one-game novelty.
Ask SkimNews
