Forget the virtual joystick. The University of Akron is rolling out one of the craziest fan promotions in college football, giving a season ticket holder the ultimate power: designing the opening drive on offense for the Zips’ home opener against Robert Morris on September 12.
The Ultimate Play-Calling Dream
This isn’t some Madden fantasy, folks. It’s real life for one lucky fan, all part of what Akron is calling the “Offensive Coordinator of the Game” promotion. The school announced it August 4, and yeah, there’s fine print, because “we’re not crazy” according to the Zips themselves. The randomly selected season ticket holder won’t be flying solo, of course. They get to work hand-in-hand with head coach Joe Moorhead himself, designing those crucial opening plays. Moorhead sounds stoked, too. He said he is “looking forward to collaborating with the season ticket holder who wins this contest,” adding that this whole thing offers “a behind-the-scenes experience that has never been done before anywhere,” so he’s “excited to show them how to put together the opening script and see what they can do.” Talk about insider access, right?
Can a Fan Break the First Drive Curse?
Here’s the kicker, and why this is so wild: Akron hasn’t scored a first-drive touchdown in their home opener since 2022. That was a tight 30-23 overtime win against St. Francis (Pa.). So, the stakes are real! Fans online are already buzzing about this move. One tweet nailed it, saying, “Major props to Akron, this is one of the coolest season ticket giveaways I’ve ever seen.” And it totally is! If you’re wondering how to get in on this, current Akron football season ticket holders are automatically entered into the drawing, with each ticket counting as one entry. You can even score extra entries by referring new season ticket holders through the athletics ticket office or by including referral info when buying tickets. Season tickets start at just $75, which is a steal for this kind of potential bragging rights.
The Zips are drawing the winner on August 19, and that lucky fan meets with Moorhead before the season opener to get down to business. Will they draw up something magical? Can a fan break the Zips’ first-drive home opener touchdown drought on September 12? We absolutely cannot wait to see what kind of play-calling wizardry emerges from this collaboration. This is college football, baby, and anything can happen!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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