How does a Cardiac Burger sound?
That’s the food item Arizona State football coach Kenny Dillingham suggests should be named after him, if a local business were to come calling.
Dillingham had his usual session with the media on Nov. 17, ahead of the team’s scheduled trip to Boulder for a showdown against Colorado on Nov. 22. Much of the 25-minute presser surrounded the ancillary things that go into making a football program successful in the current landscape of college sports.
Dillingham said the school administration is all-in on football, and the fan support is there as well, as evidenced by the school selling out all six home games so far this season. He said the last missing piece is to get more corporate sponsors involved.
For example, Dillingham said it is a benefit for restaurants to lock up deals with his players. It’s a win for the player financially and the team because those are the things that keep players in a program. It’s a win for the business because customers might patronize them more in support of the player.
“If you’re a local company and you want to engage our community, or if you’re a new business and you want to get people involved, what better way to get your brand out there to the city than utilizing our players?” Dillingham said. “We have a city behind us. If every restaurant in the city gave a kid a $500 or $1,000 a month deal to advertise for them. I don’t know the math, but I know the amount of restaurants, and I feel like we’d be in a good spot. That’s the last piece of this thing that I’m never satisfied. I want to keep pushing.”
While there have been businesses that have engaged with players, Dillingham said more are needed. He said restaurants are not the only businesses that should take part.
“There are businesses here who I truly believe have elevated their platform by naming food items after our players,” he said. “They’re now all over. There are opportunities for real NIL here where our players are being branded. You’re supporting the athlete. We can do that on such a high scale. Every restaurant, if you don’t have a food item named after an Arizona State Sun Devil, why not? I don’t get it. It’s a business expense because it’s a marketing expense.”
Going back to the cardiac part of the equation. Yes, the Sun Devils have had their share of games that have kept spectators on the edge of their seats, and yes, made coaches a little nervous. You need to look no further back than the most recent game, a 25-23 win over West Virginia on Nov. 15, in which the difference was a field goal by Jesus Gomez with 1:30 left.
Even after that, it took Keith Abney intercepting a pass to seal the victory, the seventh of the season for the Sun Devils.
ASU has five wins this season by a combined 17 points. A win over Baylor came on a Gomez field goal on the last play of the contest.
Dillingham said he had a meeting with representatives of the administration and the athletic department last week, and it was a positive session that let him know the school was behind his efforts.
“The university is doubling down,” he said. “They’re in. What we’re still missing, such a vital piece, the city. The businesses in the city and the big-time high-end donors base. That’s where we’re still searching to get connected here in some way, shape, or form. I haven’t done a good enough job of creating that connection yet.”
“Our casual fans, unbelievable. Sold-out crowds. It’s loud. People on the radio are talking about us. We’re activating the 99%. We are. It’s awesome. This year has been remarkable from that perspective.”
And what about a cardiac burger?
“Anything that causes you to sweat and that goes to the very end of your dinner to eat, something along those lines. I think that’s fair,” Dillingham said. “It’s this last step, how can we work it together? Our success leads to more success in local business. We’re a revenue generator for the city. Our success can help your business, and our success helps the city you live in. So, how do we work together with each other to take the next step with the program? We have taken steps and activated the valley. And it’s that final piece.”
