Freshman from Michigan wins 2020 Ford EcoSport SE with news delivered by 12 USF head coaches via Zoom
9,857 students registered on the USF Athletics app during 2019-20
TAMPA, MAY 7, 2020 – More than 9,800 USF students downloaded and used the HerdPerks app to get tickets, event information and engage with USF Athletics in 2019-20, but only one earned the keys to a brand-new car.
Billy Ferris, a freshman from Michigan, was surprised with the news during a recent Zoom call that included 12 USF head coaches, Vice President of Athletics Michael Kelly and Terry Mullane, Vice President/General Manager of Parks Ford.
“It was very easy to check into games and I thought the rewards were good incentives,” said a grinning Ferris as coach after coach appeared on the Zoom call to congratulate and thank him. Ferris is now the proud owner of a new 2020 Ford EcoSport SE.
“lt’s people like you that make our university great,” head women’s tennis coach Cristina Moros told Ferris. A total number of 21,037 check-ins have occurred on the app, with more than 5,500 coming since last August, including a high of 1,313 in November. It marked the highest participation on the app since its inception in 2015.
“I’m really excited,” Mullane said as he showed off the new vehicle from the Parks Ford Wesley Chapel showroom. “On behalf of the Parks Family and my team here at the Parks Motor Group, you’re going to make those people back in Michigan very proud when they see you driving around a brand-new Ford EcoSport!”
USF students had the opportunity to win the vehicle simply by downloading and activating the HerdPerks app and attending games for all USF sports, as well as other USF Athletics events around campus and the Bay area. Students’ attendance was logged via Geofencing on the app, which can be downloaded HERE. Students could also win numerous smaller prizes on the app throughout the year. Athletics saw more than 26,000 push notifications opened on the app between August and March in 2019-20.
“I just wanted to thank you for being just an unbelievable fan,” head men’s basketball coach Brian Gregory told Ferris, who totaled the most points out of 9,857 USF students registered on the app in the 2019-20 season. That was an increase of nearly 3,000 registrants over the previous year, numbers that spiked after the introduction of several grand large prizes in the fall.
“The level of support across all of the sports and the energy you brought to so many games, we are so grateful for. Congratulations,” women’s golf head coach Erika Brennan told Ferris.
Other prizes award included a $500 textbook scholarship won by Abbey Bryan, a vacation getaway for two from Hilton hotels won by James Beneduce, and a $500 dinning plan from USF Dinning Services won by Thomas Divito.
The HerdPerks app takes the USF student fan experience to the next level and allows students to get rewarded for their loyalty and attendance. Students check-in at events throughout the year to rack up points and unlock prizes all season long. Top points can be gained by attending USF games, which earn a standard 15 points but can also be designated as double and triple points events, and smaller point totals can be accrued by attending events such as Horns Up Rallies, radio shows, away game watch parties and more. All events earning points are listed on the Herd Perks app.
About USF Athletics
USF Athletics sponsors 19 varsity men’s and women’s teams that compete in 11 different sports, 18 at the NCAA Division I level in the American Athletic Conference. The Bulls’ athletic program began in 1965 and is in its 54th season in 2019-20. Nearly 450 student-athletes train and compete in the athletic district located on the east end of the campus in Tampa, Fla. The Bulls have claimed 19 American Athletic Conference team titles since joining the conference in 2013, and own 120 conference titles overall. Eleven USF programs reached national postseason competition in the 2018-19 season and six were ranked in the Top 25 nationally. The Bulls posted a combined annual grade-point average over 3.0 for the fourth straight year in 2018-19 and have posted a program record 10 straight semesters with a combined GPA over 3.0. USF has had over 400 student-athletes earn their degree since 2016-17.
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– #GoBulls –
