Wings Etc. Sponsorship of Southeast Missouri State University Embraces the Unexpected

Reporters and athletes feel the heat in wings-eating trivia contest; gamers get a package too

FORT WAYNE, Ind.— The Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Wings Etc. partnership with Southeast Missouri State University spans so much more than the usual logo placement.

Wings Etc. franchisees Joe and Michelle Hobbs have leaned into the relationship with the SEMO athletic department to develop creative and engaging ways for the sponsorship to take flight.

Photo courtesy of Noah Gilbert and the SEMO Creative Team

Since Wings Etc. began sponsoring the Redhawks sports program ten years ago, the brand has collaborated with SEMO to develop the wildly popular “Wings for Wins” program. Any time a SEMO team wins a home game, meet or match, spectators can take their tickets to Wings Etc. for four free boneless wings. The Wings Etc. Angry Chicken amplifies the energy before each home competition with a video on the big screen promoting the program.

Wings Etc. also is featured in a creative and spicy (literally) new livestream by the student newspaper, The Arrow. In “The Two-Minute Warning,” reporters ask SEMO athletes trivia questions. If the athletes get the answer right, then the reporters eat hot wings; if the athletes get it wrong, then they have to eat the wings. The stakes get higher and the wings get hotter with each miss.

The sports bar and grill franchise has adopted emerging sponsorship opportunities as well, inking the first NIL deal with a SEMO athlete, fifth-year basketball star Nygal Russell. Wings Etc. also sponsors the university’s esports club teams, hosting a Wings for Wins offer for that program.

Wings Etc. is the proud sponsor of the Southeast Missouri State University Redhawks Radio Coaches Show broadcast during the football and basketball seasons. The Cape Girardeau location even created a dish recently called the Champions Choice in support of SEMO athlete Logan Blomquist’s Olympics bid.

And Joe Hobbs has rolled up his sleeves for a hands-on role, serving as president for seven years of the Redhawks Club, the official booster organization for Southeast Missouri State Athletics. During that time he helped organize committees for events such as the Redhawks Trivia Night & Auction, of which Wings Etc. is a sponsor. Joe continues to serve on the committee for that event.

“As proud supporters, this is a big deal to us,” Joe says. “We absolutely love the access we get with our partnership. We get to know so many of the student athletes and coaches. They’re fantastic people.”

In return, the franchise receives tickets and a front-row endzone parking spot for football games. Wings Etc. is the exclusive food provider for the Redhawks Club’s tailgate party before every football game and enjoys signage in the football stadium. The brand gets courtside seats for basketball games and a slot for a team in the Charlie Brune Golf Classic, the booster club golf tournament.

But beyond those tangibles, the knowledge that Joe and Michelle Hobbs are meeting the Wings Etc. mission to provide an experience that results in happier people, deeper relationships and stronger communities lies at the heart of their decision to continue the partnership.

“We love to see this kind of involvement in the community from our franchisees,” says Wings Etc. CEO Rob Hensmann. “Wings Etc. prioritizes engagement and giving back, and this partnership with Southeast Missouri State University offers great times for all.”

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About Wings Etc. Grill & Pub

Wings Etc. is proud to celebrate 30 years of growth and good times this year. Founded in 1994 by Jim Weaver in northern Indiana, Wings Etc. is a family-friendly grill and pub featuring award-winning jumbo Buffalo wings, 21 signature sauces and rubs, dozens of TVs tuned to sports programming and a casual, non-corporate-y, laid-back vibe that makes people want to just come in and hang out. See wingsetc.com.

With 80 corporate and franchise locations, Wings Etc. has been listed among Entrepreneur magazine’s “Top 500 Franchises” every year since 2021 and was included in the magazine’s “Top Five Best Sports Bars” in 2021. It has been named one of Franchise Business Review’s “Top Food Franchises” every year since 2020 and a “Top 200 Franchise” every year since 2019. Wings Etc. has been included in Franchise Gator’s “Top 100 Franchises” seven times since 2014 and its “Fastest Growing Franchises” seven times since 2016; it was among the “Top Emerging Franchises” in 2023. It has been named a “Top 400 Franchise” by Franchise Times every year since 2021 and a “Top 500 Franchise” by Nation’s Restaurant News every year since 2021. See www.wingsetcfranchise.com.

The Wings Etc. Foundation is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization committed to improving children’s lives. See www.wingsetcfoundation.com.

©2024 Wings Etc., Inc. Franchises independently owned and operated.