A UMass fan named Noah won $10,000 at a women’s college basketball game on Wednesday night. However, the university’s insurance partner refused to pay him the money because of a bogus technicality.
That will not stop the Minutemen from making it right!!
Athletic director Ryan Bamford promised on Friday morning to pay Noah the money he deserves, regardless of whether the insurance partner comes through or not. He will receive $10K.
Before we go any further here, it needs to be explicitly stated — this is not the fault of the University of Massachusetts. No blame should be placed on Bamford or the women’s basketball program. The Minutemen are not at fault here.
UMass is the good guy!
Odds On Promotions is the enemy.
Noah was selected at random to participate in the in-game contest. He was tasked with making a layup, free throw, three-pointer and half-court shot in under 30 seconds to win $10,000.
Not only did Noah complete the challenge, he did so on four shots. Cash money. Literally.
UMass is not on the hook for $10K. It purchased an insurance policy from Odds On Promotions, which covers is supposed to cover these kinds of contest wins. Here is how it works:
Well, Odds On Promotions decided that Noah’s win will not count because his foot was on the line when he shot from half court. It is a controversial decision, to say the least. You be the judge:
MY FRIEND JUST DID THIS FOR $10k AT THE @UMassWBB GAME!!!#SCtop10 pic.twitter.com/czpu4jSNXf
— Josh Schreiber (@Jschreiber272) February 6, 2025
Even though Odds On Promotions is refusing to pay Noah the money he rightfully deserves, UMass is going to make sure he gets paid.
We appreciate Noah taking part in the series shootout promotion at our recent women’s basketball game and applaud his efforts. After the contest, we informed Noah we would share the footage with our insurance partner as the next step. After their review of the four camera angles we provided, they determined the half-court shot was disqualified as it was not taken behind the half-court line. We weren’t satisfied with that outcome and arrived at the decision to provide Noah with both a $10,000 award and a host of other UMass athletics benefits.
— UMass
Bamford is doing what his slimy insurance provider will not.
For all those wondering, we’re working on getting $10K to Noah. If we can’t get to a good result via the insurance company, we will pay him directly. We appreciate his support of UMass Athletics & want to reward his fun accomplishment the other night at our women’s basketball game. 🚩
— Athletic Director Ryan Bamford
Shoutout to the University of Massachusetts — and potentially men’s basketball coach Frank Martin — for stepping up. It does not have to pay Noah, it is choosing to do so! That’s awesome.
This entire thing has been a PR disaster for Odds On Promotions. Even if the insurance company does change its mind and spares the Minutemen from a $10,000 tab, the damage is already done. Bad look.