On Sept. 12, students and Longhorn fans throughout the Forty Acres were buzzing with excitement. Texas and Ohio State were set to kickoff one of the most anticipated college football games of the year later that evening, resulting in a dramatic 20-point comeback win for the Longhorns. 

Hours before the game, ESPN and Home Depot’s College GameDay, a college football pregame show that travels to different college campuses every week, was taking place on the lawn outside the LBJ School of Public Affairs, giving fans a chance to start their own gameday early. 

Twelve Moody students had the opportunity to volunteer on set with Octagon, a sports and entertainment agency that has managed The Home Depot’s sponsorship of College GameDay for the last 24 seasons. 

Students from James Dalthorp’s sports communication classes gained hands-on experience by assisting Octagon with The Home Depot setup and fan engagement. Dalthorp, an assistant professor of practice in the Stan Richards School of Advertising and Public Relations, says that he painstakingly recruited the students knowing they’d make a great impression on the Octagon team.

Preparing for a brand sponsorship installation as large as this one requires a lot of planning and teamwork. The students’ volunteer work began Friday morning, helping unload trucks and organizing items that they would be handing out to fans. The real fun began the next morning, before the sun had even come up. 

“We got there at 5 a.m. Saturday. The number of students who were already lined up to get into the pit was crazy,” said William Harris, a senior advertising student with a Sports Media minor.

“Most of us acted as assistants throughout the day, running all over the place, helping out wherever we could,” Harris said. “We took pictures of fans with The Home Depot’s little bus activation, handed out t-shirts and even stood in between gates ensuring guests didn’t try to walk where they weren't supposed to.”

Harris says waking up early and working in the Texas heat was challenging, but that it was all worth it. 

James Griffin, a junior communications and leadership major, says his favorite part about volunteering was receiving a behind-the-scenes look of how The Home Depot  promotes their brand through GameDay. 

“The Home Depot has a replica bus façade photo-op that fans can take pictures with every week. One of our jobs was counting the brand impressions as fans took photos with it. Fan’s were engaging with the brand, even without realizing,” Griffin said. “It was really interesting to see how sponsors can incorporate their brand into fun things that fans enjoy without forcing it on them. The iconic helmets and gloves fans vie for all come with the Home Depot logo on them. It was great to see how it’s all connected.”

Both Harris and Griffin agree that their biggest takeaway was how many people it takes every week to set up a sponsorship implementation – and most of all, how important everyone on the crew is, including volunteers. 

Dalthorp knew that his students were the right ones for the job, further developing an already positive working relationship between Moody College and the agency.

“I have a great relationship with Octagon and The Home Depot, every time they come to Austin, they let me know that they are looking for volunteers for the show.” Dalthorp said. “I make sure that these students are going to show up and do the work that’s needed, and every year, I know my students are going to do a great job.”

Professor Dalthorp was correct, as all the students received a message full of gratitude from Octagon for their hard work after the long weekend. 

“Team, you were absolutely incredible this weekend,” Ella Brandenberg of Octagon told the students. “The energy and work ethic you brought to College GameDay through the heat was amazing, and we can’t thank you enough.”