📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

'Are These Big 12 Refs?': Dr Pepper College Football Halftime Giveaway Goes Wrong After Counting Error The Internet served as the ultimate instant replay during the Dr. Pepper Halftime Tuition Giveaway on Saturday as the refs appeared to blow the call.

By Emily Rella •

entrepreneur daily

The University of Texas Longhorns emerged victorious over the Oklahoma State Cowboys 49-21 on Saturday for the Big 12 Championship.

And although the game was exciting, it was a counting error during the halftime competition that generated all the buzz.

The Dr. Pepper Halftime Tuition Giveaway, a longstanding tradition, pits two college students against one another in an attempt to see which student can sink the most footballs into a bin. The winner gets $100,000 for tuition.

During Saturday's game, University of Pennsylvania freshman Ryan Georgian and Gavin White, a junior at The Ohio State University, went into a dramatic "double overtime" with Georgian eventually winning the contest.

However, eagle-eyed fans on social media quickly pointed out that there had been a counting error by the referees, and that Georgian had only earned five points in the first round (not six), and that the game should have never gone into an overtime situation with White winning off the bat.

"This needs to be investigated by the proper authorities," one fan wrote.

"It's rigged," another said.

The hashtag #JusticeForGavin even began trending on X, with some fans saying they would no longer be consuming the soft drink until the mistake was fixed.

Dr Pepper acknowledged the error on social media and for the first time in history, awarded both students free tuition.

"In a dramatic double OT Dr Pepper Tuition Giveaway during the Big 12 Conference championship game, an on-field technical error resulted in an inaccurate accounting of the double tie break," the company said. "As such, Dr Pepper will recognize both finalists as grand prize winners with both receiving the 100k award in tuition."

The company did not clarify who was responsible for the mistake.
Emily Rella

Entrepreneur Staff

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Most Popular

See all
Fundraising

My Startup Couldn't Raise VC Funding, So We Became Profitable. Here's How We Did It — And How You Can Too.

Four months ago, my startup reached profitability for the first time. It came after more than a year of active work and planning, and here's what it took.

By Martins Lasmanis
By Sherin Shibu
Starting a Business

Clinton Sparks Podcast: From Hit Records to Humanitarian Powerhouse, Akon Shares His Entrepreneurial Journey

This podcast is a fun, entertaining and informative show that will teach you how to succeed and achieve your goals with practical advice and actionable steps given through compelling stories and conversations with Clinton and his guests.

By Clinton Sparks
Business News

McDonald's Is Responding to Sky-High Fast Food Prices By Rolling Out a Much Cheaper Value Meal: Report

The news comes as the chain looks to redirect back to customer "affordability."

By Emily Rella
Starting a Business

Clinton Sparks Podcast: CEO of Complex Shares How Media, Culture Have Shifted in Recent Years

This podcast is a fun, entertaining and informative show that will teach you how to succeed and achieve your goals with practical advice and actionable steps given through compelling stories and conversations with Clinton and his guests.

By Clinton Sparks
Business News

Jack Dorsey Explains Bluesky Exit: 'Literally Repeating All the Mistakes We Made' at Twitter

Dorsey left the Bluesky board and deleted his account earlier this week.

By Sherin Shibu