College student asks mom for beer money on ‘College GameDay,’ gets over 2,000 Venmo donations

By Lulu Chang September 11, 2016

zelle big banks venmo — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Ask and you shall receive. That is, if your name is Sam Crowder, and you’re asking your mom for beer money. Under normal circumstances, such a request may not have yielded much of a payout, but when that request is broadcast on an episode of College GameDay at Bristol Motor Speedway, things happen. Big things happen. Over 2,000 people took to Venmo and sent Sam Crowder beer money, including Venmo itself, who chipped in a not-too-shabby $50. Sometimes, it pays to be in the right place (on screen) at the right time.

More than 200 people have paid this kid. We counted. pic.twitter.com/2Hxm5HtgRR

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) September 10, 2016

While it’s unclear how much Crowder ultimately made from his little stunt, as the minimum transaction on Venmo is naught more than a measly penny, TechCrunch notes that it’s “more than likely most [donations] were at least a dollar.” SB Nation even sent Crowder a dollar, writing, “For what it’s worth, we’ve reached out to Sam the only way we could — by sending him a dollar on Venmo and hoping he notices.”

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Update: More than 2,000 users have paid Sam. We counted. https://t.co/s6kMWEWXW4

— Venmo (@venmo) September 10, 2016

Rest assured Crowder either has his beer budget taken care of for the rest of the year, or can start paying off his student loans (though being a college kid, we think we know what he’ll choose).

And while you may think that the internet or television-watching populace of the United States was just feeling particularly generous on Saturday, let us remind you that this isn’t the first time someone has taken to national television to ask for money. In fact, three years ago, another student made an appearance on the same show with a sign bearing a QR code that directed viewers to his Bitcoin address. That resourceful guy made $24,000. Again, a lot of beer money.

So if you’re a bit cash-strapped these days, your best bet may be to find a live taping somewhere. You never know how many generous souls your posterboard may move to donation.

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