- Dr Pepper drew scorn for its handling of a college tuition giveaway during halftime of the SEC championship game.
- The brand announced one player as the winner based on an obscure rule after they tied twice.
Louisiana State University wasn't the only one getting trampled halfway into its SEC championship against Georgia on Saturday — so was Dr Pepper after a controversial ending to its halftime college tuition giveaway contest.
The beverage company drew disdain from the crowd and on social media alike after the annual competition, which involves contestants vying for $100,000 by throwing footballs into large cans of soda, devolved into a confusing tie-breaker.
After the two players — Reagan Whitaker of Baylor University and and Kayla Gibson of the University of St. Augustine — each scored 11 points in the first round, they advanced to a second round, but tied in that one, too. Due to time constraints, rather than continuing the face-off, Whitaker was deemed the winner, based on an obscure rule that counts points from a prior qualifying round.
The decision did not go over well. The crowd erupted into boos and a #JusticeForKayla movement quickly took over social media.
On Twitter, several users voiced their frustration with the rule.
—br_betting (@br_betting) December 3, 2022
—Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) December 3, 2022
—Logan Leger (@lleger) December 3, 2022
Others pointed out how "depressing" the contest is.
—Theo Ash (@TheoAshNFL) December 3, 2022
—Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) December 4, 2022
Dr Pepper appeared to take the outcry to heart. By the fourth quarter, CBS reporter Jenny Dell announced the company decided to give both contestants $100,000.
"Well, you all saw the unprecedented double tie of the Dr Pepper halftime tuition giveaway," Dell said. "We 've just been told by Dr Pepper that they're going to award both finalists $100,000. So both Kayla Gibson and Reagan Whitaker are taking home $100K. Congratulations, ladies, and great job by Dr Pepper there."
Keurig Dr Pepper, the brand's parent company, has held the contest since 2008 and given away a total of $13 million in college tuition. According to the company, this is the first time two finalists have tied twice in a row.
Andrew Springate, Chief Marketing Officer for Keurig Dr Pepper, said in a statement to Insider that while "every year there are surprises and unexpected moments," this year's game "proved to be one of the most exciting yet with the double tie-breaker."
"We're honored to celebrate inspiring students every year, and excited that this unexpected turn of events gave us the opportunity to extend the grand prize award to another deserving student," Springate said.