In the world of sports, teams – no matter the league, game or location – are obsessed with two goals: winning, and getting excited about the hope of winning. Every aspect of the operation of a team is focused on one of these two aspirations. Earning glory on the field can help you earn glory in the bank account, but even for teams devoid of hope, the sales pitch is all about hope. We hope to win. We hope to make you proud. We hope you’ll join us.
Promoting the work taking place on the field is as important as… well… the work taking place on the field, and the organizations leveraging hope via sports are seeking technological solutions for both. This season, those solutions are often found via mobile digital engagement. Whether we’re looking at coaches push video review sessions to the team via tablet, athletic directors push marketing to the masses via smartphone, or the fans pushing the game and the joy of the community via social media, the influence of tech on a market that embraces its benefits is undeniable.
For the powers battling in collegiate sports, the competition to win both on and off the field has never been so fierce, and the advance of the digital landscape has changed the way the competition is fought. The days of enjoying regional advantage – for players, for fans, for dollars – are over. The digital age has turned the world into a viable market for teams seeking support, and those advances are also evolving the tools universities and colleges bring to the fight.
Thus, we introduce one of our favorite examples for the 2013 season… the ACC Football Challenge app.
Designed by Naquatic, LLC and sponsored by McAlister’s Deli (we recommend the Black Angus Club… phenomenal), the ACC Football Challenge is a unique take on mobile fan engagement that represents the first gaming app ever from a major college football conference. More importantly, it’s the first app allowing fans from rival colleges to engage in conjunction with the teams they support.
The premise, while simple, is rather brilliant. Users create profiles that include their team of choice. During the season, when the teams are playing, users can login and represent their team in an enhanced game of flick football, competing against another user that represents the true opponent your team is facing (in reality) that day.
For instance, if you are a fan of the Clemson Tigers (one of the best teams in the nation so far this season), you can login to the ACC Football Challenge during the game against rival Florida State on October 19th and the app will pit you against another user claiming the Seminoles as their team of choice. You’ll engage in digital flick football war via a second-screen engagement while you watch your teams fight it out at Memorial Stadium.
The game itself is highly addictive, bringing back an old-time favorite for those who grew up before Nintendo (when you folded paper and “kicked” the football across the table while your buddy offered makeshift goal posts with his/her thumbs) while introducing swipe-style gameplay that should be intuitive for any smartphone lover. To spice up the action, the folks at the ACC laced this app up with a multitude of features.
Game scores can be shared via social media, users can find and challenge their friends with ease, and everyone who plays gets (a) a free cookie at McAlister’s (as well as a free nacho basket at the end of the season), and (b) entry into a random drawing for a VIP trip to the Dr. Pepper ACC Championship Game in Charlotte, NC.
Thus far, the ACC Football Challenge is earning tremendous reviews. The iOS version is optimized for use on an iPhone or iPad and currently enjoys a 4+ rating from user reviews. On the Google Play Store the app has earned a 5-star rating from the vast majority of users, and comments indicate an affection for the initial launch with hopes the app evolves in 2014.
In the end, fans of ACC football find a simple, fun way to interact while supporting their team on gameday, and they earn a few perks along the way. While there is room to grow, we are happy to give the ACC credit for identifying an innovative mobile effort promoting each and every one of their universities, bringing fans from all of those teams together to support the conference, and getting them involved in a second-screen event that is easy to grasp, play and enjoy.
Those rolling with an iPhone can pick this up via the App Store (available on iOS 4.3 or later), and the Android faithful can grab it via Google Play (good for Android 2.0.1 and up). To grab quick links to both and learn more, visit the app’s official page on The ACC website.