Tailgates at Washington State University are synonymous with Fireball. The Cougars are working on a new version of the cinnamon-flavored whiskey to support its college football players with NIL money.
It is even stronger!
Many college football programs have created their own alcohols to raise money. This 14-year-tradition is the most perfect fit.
Fireball and college football go hand-in-hand in Pullman.
The Washington State University Fireball phenomenon first became a thing in 2012. ESPN was broadcasting a football game against UCLA in Pullman. The cameras cut to the crowd. One of the fans pulled out a fifth of Fireball, put it to his lips and took a massive pull straight from the bottle.
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In that moment, a new tradition was born.
It gets cold in Pullman. There is no better way to warm up than a shot of Fireball. The drink became a crucial part of local lore. A legendary superfan named ‘Fireball Joe’ spent eight years passing out more than 40,000 free shots from his RV outside of Martin Stadium before he stepped down in 2019.
That did not stop the shots from flowing. Randy and Sue Templeton told the Kitsap Sun that they don’t do game day without it.
“Game day food is Cougar sausage topped with Cougar Gold cheese and Joe’s homemade chili, and washed down with a few shots of Fireball!”
You’d be hard-pressed to find a tailgate that doesn’t have a bottle of Fireball ready to go. Students put it down like water.
Washington State created its own cinnamon whiskey.
Knowing that its fans rarely drink anything else, Washington State University decided to profit from the tradition. Money is more important than ever in the modern era of collegiate athletics. The programs that can pay their players the most have a better chance of landing elite talent.
With that in mind, the Cougars created a custom whiskey around the holidays with all of the profits going back into the NIL fund. It sold out in a matter of minutes.
Now, six-ish weeks later, a new version of Fireball is born. Washington State will release its own cinnamon whiskey at the end of August. Fireball is only 33% ABV. Wazzu Whiskey is 46%.
FYI, there’s an NIL fireball coming out in the fall, I’d imagine if there’s enough support they’d consider minis too eventually pic.twitter.com/1yndA3Dgfb
— JD Treat (@jdtreat2) June 7, 2026
This is a brilliant move. Not only will the fans get even more drunk on a higher-quality version of Fireball, all of the money goes right back into the athletic department instead of the Sazerac Company. It’s a win-win!