Turnover Objects in Collegiate Football

Another fairly well-known turnover object is Plank from Kennesaw State. Plank accidentally went viral when junior safety at the time Taylor Henkle held it up to a few fans in the front row and the picture was broadcasted across the country. Plank is a life-like replica of the block of wood from the cartoon show Ed, Edd and Eddy where they treat the object like a human friend, which is exactly what the players at Kennesaw State do.

Unlike the chain and Plank, FSU’s turnover backpack was a highly criticized accessory. Unfortunately, head coach Willie Taggart decided against bringing the backpack back for the 2019 season. Apparently, he doesn’t think the backpack will help the team “secure the bag” in the upcoming season.

In 2018, Tulane created their own turnover necklace by using oversized Mardi Gras Beads. It gained a lot of traction on social media, but mainly because Tulane called it a “turnover chain” and naturally Miami got defensive.

Louisville created a Muhammed Ali inspired prop by making a turnover belt and touchdown boxing gloves. The belt was made with the faces of boxing champions from Louisville and the gloves were signed by Ali himself.

Louisville isn’t the only team in college football with a turnover belt. Alabama, Colorado, and Ohio all have their own versions of a turnover belt. Although, I’m not sure why they couldn’t have come up with something more creative and related to their school or mascot. 

In 2017 Tennessee opened with a branded trash can where players would dunk the ball into the trash can when they would get a turnover. The can eventually backfired when opposing teams compared Tennessee to champions of trash. 

SMU unveiled their turnover chalice and crown at the beginning of the 2018 season, despite losing their first two games. There’s nothing classier than a sweaty football player sipping gatorade from a giant chalice

The lunch pail has seen better days, it originated in 1995 but it holds a deeper meaning than one would think. Teammates collect turf and blades of grass from victories and put it in the pail alongside the names from the 32 victims from the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. 

Georgia’s turnover object is one of the most creative by far, spiked golden pads. The pads themselves were inspired by the Georgia Spike Squad, a group of students who wanted to show their passion for Georgia in a different way. You can find the squad in the student section spouting the spiky shoulder pads. 

Boise State created a turnover throne *que Game of Thrones theme song* in order for defenders to sit after forcing a turnover. Before their throne they also had a turnover belt and a bike, I’m happy they became more creative.

Marketing makes up a colossal portion of the sports world, although brands are not taking advantage of turnover objects since they are not as common of a marketing technique. When will big brands start jumping on the turnover train in order to gain more exposure? Sponsoring a turnover object would be a great opportunity for non-sport brands to grow an audience within the sports realm. The turnover throne could be replaced by a turnover couch from Ikea or the turnover chalice could be replaced by a branded Coca-Cola one. It would be easy enough for brands to reach out to teams for a mutually beneficial partnership, especially if the object itself will gain exposure for the team as well.