Car dealership makes it up to Purdue student who won kicking challenge after originally withholding prize

Imagine stepping up to the challenge during halftime, the crowd cheering as you prepare to make the biggest kick of your life. For Purdue student Zachary Spangler, that moment felt like a victory — until it wasn’t. Spangler nailed a 40-yard field goal in what seemed like a successful “Cash for Kicks” challenge, only to have his prize of a two-year car lease snatched away after officials reviewed the clock and decided his kick was late. Just five one-hundredths of a second too late, to be exact.

But every cloud has a silver lining, and Rohrman Automotive Group turned this tricky situation into an opportunity. After some public scrutiny, the dealership offered Spangler a choice: take the original two-year car lease or opt for $5,000 cash. And to sweeten the deal, they also pledged a $5,000 donation to Ross-Ade Brigade, Purdue’s spirited student section.

The contest itself got a bit of a makeover as well. Rohrman Automotive acknowledged that the timer element added unnecessary stress, so going forward, each kick attempt will have its own prize — no rush, no timer. A successful 10-yard kick gets you a $100 Visa gift card, a 20-yarder earns $150, and nail a 30-yard kick, and you’ve won either a two-year lease on a Honda Civic or $5,000 in cash. No more last-second controversies.

In the end, Spangler made the sensible choice and took the cash. He’s set to receive his prize during halftime of Purdue’s upcoming game against Notre Dame. But before Rohrman stepped in to resolve things, other local dealerships saw the PR opportunity and swooped in with offers of their own. One even dangled a free lease on a Chevrolet Blazer EV in front of Spangler.

The lesson here? Even in the high-stakes world of college football halftime stunts, the rules and timing are everything — but sometimes, a bit of goodwill and good PR can smooth out any last-second controversies……..[read more]

Rising Dough

What role do sponsorships and promotions, like Rohrman Automotive’s “Cash for Kicks,” play in shaping consumer perception, and how do such events benefit both businesses and consumers?