This past weekend, I took Sloan and Beau to the Eastern Washington University football home opener. They experienced The Inferno for the first time and obviously gave the Eagles a little luck as the good guys defeated the University of Northern Iowa, 34-24.

The kids pose for a photo with me at the EWU vs. Northern Iowa football game at Roos Field on Sept. 5, 2026.

We rode the Spokane Transit Authority (STA) double decker bus to Cheney, went tailgating, purchased concessions, cheered loud, and saw Swoop. However, even with all that fun, I didn’t know how long we would last at the stadium.

Beau and Sloan admire a rainbow at the EWU vs. Northern Iowa game.

The decision to attend the game was a spur of the moment deal and we battled rain multiple times throughout the contest. We were also in the end zone cheap seats and my kids don’t exactly understand the rules of football. So I figured they would probably be ready to bounce at halftime despite all the fun stuff that was transpiring around us.

I was wrong. We stayed until the very end and there was one big reason why…

The McDonald’s McCafe promotion.

Although my kids don’t understand the finer rules of football, they understood one thing very well: If the EWU football team scored at least 28 points and won, everyone in the stadium would receive a coupon for a free medium McDonald’s refresher drink or craft soda.

A look at the coupon that was up for grabs if Eastern scored 28 points and won.

Game on!

Throughout the game, Sloan and Beau kept their eyes fixated on the scoreboard and cheered enthusiastically for the Eagles to score touchdown after touchdown. They asked me countless times what combination of scoring needed to occur for EWU to reach the 28-point benchmark and the likelihood of it happening. As the game entered the second half—and then the fourth quarter—the desired outcome seemed within reach and the kids started to become both excited and antsy.

Sloan and Beau were fired up about the chance of winning a free drink from McDonald’s.

Their enthusiasm and obsession were familiar to me as I traveled down memory lane. I remembered my childhood years serving as a ball boy for Gonzaga and the Wendy’s three-point promotion that was offered at the time. If the Zags nailed 9 three-pointers, everyone left the gym with a coupon for a Wendy’s quarter pounder cheeseburger. The tension and excitement whenever the team reached 8 three-pointers was so much fun as you could always depend on a player throwing up an ill-advised three-pointer in hopes of sending everyone home happy. I remember some very joyful post-game moments stopping at a Wendy’s restaurant with my dad and brother after the benchmark was hit.

Later on in my life, I became even better acquainted with the mania these promotions produce when I worked at the University of Montana. As a marketing staffer in the athletic department, I oversaw the distribution of coupons for our “Wendy’s Chili is free when the Griz score 73” promo. If the men’s basketball team reached 73 points or more, those in attendance at Dahlberg Arena would receive a coupon for a cup of Wendy’s chili on their way out. My interns at the time had some crazy stories of fans making sure they received their chili coupon…it was like we were handing out $100 bills.

These are the Wendy’s chili card we would pass out when I worked for the University of Montana.

So when Sloan and Beau based their well-being off whether EWU reached 28 points on Saturday night, I totally got it. These types of promotions truly engage fans because who doesn’t love getting something free? Even if it is as trivial as a cup of chili or a medium soft drink.

As we left Roos Field, stadium workers handed McDonald’s free drink coupons to my smiling kids. There was no doubt that I would need to make a stop on the way home.

Sloan and Beau proudly hold the coupons they received outside Roos Field.

When we arrived at the McDonald’s restaurant in downtown Spokane, I made sure the kids knew ahead of time what they were going to order. Sloan got the mango pineapple refresher, Beau chose the strawberry watermelon refresher, and I traded in my coupon for a Sprite berry blast soda for Sid. Although the employee took a hard look at our coupons as we were the first people to redeem them at that restaurant, we received our free drinks.

Ahh the sweet taste of victory. We made a stop at McDonald’s after the game so the kids could cash in their coupons for McDonald’s refresher drinks.

As organizations and universities face the age-old challenge of keeping fans in seats for the entirety of a game, the trick of offering an incentive for team performance can do nothing but help. Trust me, I have seen this tactic work to perfection for multiple generations. Don’t Blink.