Photo courtesy of Josh Teeter
By: Mason Choate
Packing up and flying across the country on short notice is a tough task physically and financially for just about anyone, especially for two college students.
Arkansas junior Josh Teeter and David Marts, a student at Northwest Arkansas Community College, are die-hard Razorback fans. When the Hogs secured a Sweet 16 berth, the two were chomping at the bit to fly to San Francisco and watch their favorite team play. There was only one issue: a trip from Fayetteville to San Francisco is the opposite of cheap.
“Super blessed to be able to go out there and create content,” Teeter said. “It was awesome. An expensive trip, so I’m glad it got covered.”
Teeter and Marts benefited from the social media app Twitter, where followers offered to help out. The two have a combined 14.5 thousand followers, so there was no lack of effort on the followers’ part.
Within a few hours, a local business owner provided an opportunity that the pair could not turn down. Trisha Walden owns two bars in the downtown Bentonville area and she helped to provide Teeter and Marts with just what they needed to make the trip of a lifetime.
“They just wanted us to shout them out,” Teeter said. “They said, ‘Y’all know what to do. Do your own thing and just whenever you can.’”
With the financials figured out, Teeter and Marts posted about their confirmed trip, much to the excitement of their followers. From there, it was all about figuring out how to provide high quality content for the trip.
From the jump, the guys were posting videos and updates from airports as they made the trek out west. Once they arrived, the content opportunities came fairly easy.
“Seeing all the beautiful sights and views that San Francisco brings was so awesome,” Marts said. “Walking around and hearing all the different accents and languages from all over the world was so astonishing to me, it was probably one of my favorite things of the whole trip.”
The first game on tap was Arkansas’ matchup with No. 1 overall seed Gonzaga in the Sweet 16 Friday. The Razorbacks emerged victorious, adding to the once-in-a-lifetime experience.
https://twitter.com/joshteeter01/status/1507168239113043972
The victory over the Bulldogs added a few extra days in San Francisco for Teeter and Marts. Naturally, the two took the time to explore and see places they otherwise might never have the chance to.
“I’ve always wanted to go to the Golden Gate Bridge,” Teeter said. “We went to a farmers market Saturday morning, which was really cool. Really good food there.”
https://twitter.com/joshteeter01/status/1507480208923762688
Arkansas then faced the blue-blooded Duke Blue Devils in the Elite Eight round of the tournament, eventually falling 78-69. The season was over for the team, but the experience continued for Teeter and Marts.
With the door shut on any hopes of another trip, the two had to make their way back to the Natural State. As easy as it may sound, airport troubles threw a wrench in the road to home.
“We got delayed and missed our connection in Atlanta, so we slept overnight in Atlanta,” Teeter said. “We were supposed to be on a flight the next morning, but when I got there the next morning they said we were on standby.”
After a brief argument with airport representatives, the two were able to board a flight and make their way home Monday.
https://twitter.com/DavidMarts13/status/1508428832969302022
A trip like this one is extremely rare for college students, who often have sparse bank accounts. To not only make the trip, but to have so many people showing love and support proved to be a pleasant surprise for the pair.
“Not many people would get to do that, so I would definitely say once in a lifetime,” Teeter said. “It’s awesome to see that people like to give back. I hope that five years from now I’ll be in that same position and I can send college kids out to different places.”