Martin Alan Whims II will serve as Akron’s “Offensive Coordinator of the Game” for the Zips’ home opener against Robert Morris on Sept. 12, according to an announcement by Akron athletic director Andrew Goodrich. Whims, an alumnus and longtime season-ticket holder, won a viral promotional contest launched by the university to help head coach Joe Moorhead script the opening offensive series of the Week 2 matchup.
The Viral Promotion and Ticket Sales Impact
Akron launched the “Offensive Coordinator of the Game” promotion on Aug. 4 through a social media post on X that quickly generated more than 23 million views. The campaign drew national attention and triggered a significant surge in ticket sales. Matt Pottorff, Akron senior deputy athletic director and chief operating officer, told the Akron Beacon Journal that August 5 marked the largest ticket sales day in Akron athletics history. For the first time since InfoCision Stadium opened in 2009, all 17 of its suites sold out entirely, alongside increased sales of loge seating and season tickets from buyers across multiple states.
According to Pottorff, the athletic department structured the revenue initiative to directly benefit the football program, allocating 70% of ticket sales across all sports toward the Zips’ name, image, and likeness (NIL) and revenue-share programs. The strategy aims to supply coaches with financial resources for player recruitment and retention.
Contest Finalists and Selection Process
All existing season-ticket holders were automatically entered into a random drawing. On Aug. 19, Akron narrowed the candidate pool to nine finalists representing five states. That finalist group included local fans alongside prominent media figures, such as Dan “Big Cat” Katz and YouTube creator James Bordeaux, who operates a channel focused on EA Sports college football video games. On Tuesday, athletic officials contacted Whims—chief financial officer of Stark Enterprises and an alumnus of Akron’s College of Business—to inform him he had won the contest.
Execution of the Opening Script
While Whims will step onto the sideline for the opening drive, head coach Joe Moorhead will retain full control of the offense. Moorhead, entering his fifth season leading the Zips, told the Akron Beacon Journal that he plans to take Whims through the Robert Morris scouting report prior to the game. Whims will examine formation tendencies on first and second down, review the coaching staff’s preferred plays, and discuss how the opening series is constructed. Moorhead stated that he will have a dozen-plus plays scripted for the opening drive while incorporating feedback from the contest winner into the game plan.