College basketball chicken promotion nearly runs amok in NC mountain town
A promotion at an Appalachian State University men’s basketball game nearly ran amok last weekend when more students showed up at the local Zaxby’s for a free chicken sandwich than attended the game.
Clever students, they are.
The Zaxby’s on Highway 105 Extension in Boone offered a season-long promotion awarding a free Kickin’ Chicken Sandwich to spectators, if an opposing player missed both free throws at the line with under 8 minutes to play.
That happened for the first time in App State’s 65-54 victory over Troy on Saturday.
Between 200 and 300 App State students attended the game, according to an school athletic official, but Zaxby’s manager Aleah Hodges told the Observer that 425 to 475 students showed up for the free sandwiches.
Zaxby’s expected only about 150 to show at the restaurant based on about 250 at the game, Sofie Goode, the owner of the Boone Zaxby’s, said on Monday night.
Students only have to show their student identification cards to get into the games, not buy a ticket. And the ID cards are all the students produced at Zaxby’s.
#2 for Troy about ran Zaxby’s out of business https://t.co/vKEJIWNw1w
— Barstool ‘Neers (@NeersBarstool) February 19, 2018
The restaurant honored all of their requests, regardless of whether the students really were at the game, Goode said.
“It’s not the kids’ fault,” Goode said of what happened.
At one point, the restaurant ran out of bread for the sandwiches, but restaurant employees went out and got more, Goode said. The restaurant had enough chicken to handle the onslaught, she said.
On Monday, App State’s athletics department tweeted that “due to the overwhelming response,” students had until 5:30 p.m. to claim their chicken sandwiches, and they had to produce a ticket stub.
Due to an overwhelming response to the men's basketball game promotion this weekend, Zaxby's in Boone will only honor ticket stubs to receive the free chicken sandwich offer until 5:30pm today. App students who attend games will receive vouchers for this promotion in the future.
— App State Athletics (@appstatesports) February 19, 2018
From now on, Goode said, if an opposing player misses two free throws with under 8 minutes left, spectators will receive free sandwich vouchers at the game.
“At the end of the day, we are there to support App State, and we will continue to support App State,” Goode said.
Joe Marusak: 704-358-5067, @jmarusak
This story was originally published February 20, 2018 at 8:14 AM with the headline "College basketball chicken promotion nearly runs amok in NC mountain town."