You know success level is elite when the conspiracy theories start being whispered.
Do they gather students somewhere to practice the shot? Are they pre-screening selections? Is it a regulation basketball?
Beer for a Year is now famous at Colorado State men’s basketball games. Here’s a look at the phenomenon where CSU students win free beer from sponsor New Belgium hitting a half-court shot at halftime of games:
The evolution of Beer for a Year
Beer for a Year has gone through iterations, from a free throw challenge in early 2020 to a multi-shot (layup, free throw, 3-pointer) circuit in 2021-22. The half-court shot came for the 2022-23 season.
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It happened for conference games that season, with a winner hitting early in 2023.
“It was kind of surreal,” said Ty Thomas, a former Fort Collins High School basketball player, after going viral for winning.
Then it really took off. Four times in a span of weeks in early 2023 there was a winner.
Now, it’s an expectation. Entering Saturday’s game against Wyoming, there have been five home men’s basketball games at Moby Arena. The number of Beer for a Year winners from those five games: five.
CSU hosts Wyoming:Game time, how to watch, key players and more
Beer for a Year: Consistently viral
As far as a marketing plan goes, it’s hard to imagine one hitting any better.
And why wouldn’t it? Half-court shots = very cool. Free beer = very cool. Quite the combo.
The original winning half-court shot garnered nearly 170,000 views just on CSU’s tweet of the video.
Former CSU star David Roddy saw it (the winner was wearing a Roddy Memphis Grizzlies jersey) and chimed in. Another 100,000-plus views.
As the winners kept rolling, so did the attention. Visiting reporters who cover other Mountain West teams stayed tuned at halftime for the phenomenon.
It caught the attention of Sports Illustrated writer Pat Forde. “The greatest in-game promotion in college basketball,” Forde called it.
Beer for a Year frequently asked questions
But of course, it’s not just about the shot itself. The folks at Rams Sports Properties helped answer some of these burning questions.
The biggest: What about the beer? The most common question after someone sees another winner is “what do they actually win?”
The Beer for a Year giveaway is a $500 gift card to New Belgium.
How are participants selected? Participants are randomly selected, but they do have to be ID checked to be 21 or older. Last season a fan brought a “pick me for Beer for a Year” sign and they were chosen for the next game (oh, and they hit the shot, of course).
Participants have 45 seconds on the clock and a rack of basketballs beside them to fire away as many shots as they can in that time to make one.
The pressure is on, now.
All eyes turn to center court at halftime. Making a shot is now an expectation.
Follow sports reporter Kevin Lytle on X and Instagram @Kevin_Lytle.
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