A Purdue University student thought he won a two-year car lease by hitting three field goals in the Boilermakers' season opener, but a dealership sponsor later told him the prize was worthless because his foot was a split second late after the final kick.
Zachary Spangler's successful kicks from 20, 30 and 40 yards out drew cheers from nearly 60,000 fans and a loud honk from the Ross Ade Stadium train during a timeout in the Aug. 31 Purdue game at Rohrman Field. On Sept. 5, Spangler received an email from Trey Rohrman, director of Indiana operations at Rohrman Automotive Group, saying he had only won $250 because a video replay showed the 30-second timer had expired.
The decision to deny the lease was made by the dealer group's insurance company, Rohrman said in a statement to Purdue's student newspaper, which published an editorial saying Spangler deserved the award.
“We are disappointed that Zach was led to believe he was up to the task,” Rohrman wrote. “Our decision not to award him the grand prize was not personal, but simply one of principle and rules.”
In a Sept. 10 statement to Automotive News, Rohrman Auto said it was working with Purdue “to make this experience right for both Zach and future participants. And through a thorough review of the Kicks for Cash Challenge process, Rohrman and Purdue will be updating the sweepstakes terms.”
Spangler said he wasn't upset about losing the car race — “I have a car that runs great,” he told the Purdue Exponent — but was annoyed that his apparent victory was quietly nullified afterward. He also noted that football rules don't require field goal attempts to be made before time expires if the ball is kicked in time.
“It's going to count if you're 12 years old and up until you're 38,” Spangler said. “I was never told the ball had to leave my foot before 30 seconds were up because they were just like, 'Hey, just go out there and hit it.'
Several other dealerships reached out to Spangler, offering him a free car lease when the news spread. Curry Automotive Center in Bloomington told him he could drive a Chevrolet Blazer EV for two years, which would cost about $15,000.
In a LinkedIn post, Trey Rohrman said Spangler missed winning the Kicks for Cash contest by 0.07 seconds. He responded to several comments calling for the dealership to award the car anyway, saying the stadium announcer incorrectly declared Spangler the winner without giving him time to review.
“Last year, two of our kids successfully won a car,” Rohrman responded to one commenter. “I don't understand why so many people have trouble following the rules if it's such a difficult task.”
In 2020, Purdue's football field was named after Rohrman Auto founder Bob Rohrman after his family donated $15 million to fund the stadium's renovation.