Josh Teeter, a social media personality who attends the University of Arkansas, looks on at a Razorback football game. Radio personality and Dancing with the Stars winner Bobby Bones stepped up to send Teeter to the Sweet 16 in Las Vegas where he will cover the Arkansas - UConn game. (Photo courtesy of Josh Teeter)

Radio personality, DWS Winner Bobby Bones Ensures Arkansas Student Can go to Sweet 16

ACM On-Air Personality of the Year, Dancing with the Stars champion ensures Razorbacks' good luck charm will be present in Las Vegas

Author:
Kent Smith
Updated:
Mar 20, 2023 7:01 PM EDT
Original:
Mar 20, 2023

In this story:

Arkansas Razorbacks

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Being a college kid trying to break into the sports media business by way of social media can be a humbling experience.

It often involves making pleas for sponsors in exchange for exposure, which isn't exactly the most glamorous aspect of the business.

That is, unless a national celebrity hits you up and offers to throw a lot of cash your way.

Josh Teeter is somewhat of a known man. The University of Arkansas college student made a name for himself around the state for his Twitter feed and "Red Cup Arkansas" Instagram posts. He's managed to build a love him or hate him reputation as a prominent member of what is affectionately known in Arkansas as "Razorback Twitter."

So when he put out the call for sponsors to help him get to Las Vegas to cover the Arkansas Razorbacks in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, the usual haters were ready to do just that.

Exhausted from the high of the Razorbacks' upset of No. 1 seed Kansas the day before, Teeter forced himself to roll over one last time to see if anyone had a sponsorship offer.

As he peered through bleary eyes, he scrolled past the disdain and members of his generation trying to explain to older fans how Teeter's job works in his defense until he reached a post that froze him.

It was one simple sentence.

"What do you need to get out there?"

The person asking was none other than nationally syndicated National Radio Hall of Fame host Bobby Bones, a man who was once dubbed "The most powerful man in country music" by Forbes and a former winner of the AMC On-Air Personality of the Year. He also happens to be an avid fan of the Razorbacks.

Bones is the most listened-to host in all of country music, so, fittingly, Teeter and and his generation of Spotify users know him more as the guy who won "Dancing with the Stars."

Not one to pass up an opportunity, Teeter responded immediately. Aware of how certain members of the Arkansas fandom view his quest for sponsorship, he was careful to make sure it was clear this wasn't a handout.

But Bones wasn't having it.

"I don't care about your interactions," Bones wrote back. I get plenty. What's your Venmo."

And with that, Teeter was fully funded.

"I have had a few interactions with bobby on social media, but I didn't expect him to do anything like that," Teeter said. "That was very generous of him. You don't expect that to happen. For him to just do that out of the kindness of his heart and not want anything in return was amazing."

Now that he gets to go, Teeter will get to take Razorback fans along for a ride he's been planning since the moment he saw Las Vegas on his bracket.

"I'm a huge fan of Vegas and everything I have always seen on TV," Teeter said. "It just looks so much fun to me. All the casinos, all the shows, all the places. I just like sight-seeing. Of course, going to the game is going to be No. 1, it's going to be the most fun thing I do while I'm there because I'm such a huge Razorback fan."

While heading to Vegas is something the tone in Teeter's voice made clear he's excited about, it's Razorback fans who should be excited.

Teeter has become such a good luck charm for Razorback athletics that fans were openly clamouring for sponsors to pick him up because of superstition.

Storm the field against Texas.

There.

Storm the court against No. 1 Auburn.

There.

Round of 32, plus Sweet 16 and Elite 8 in Musselman's first year?

There.

Guess where Teeter was during the Sweet 16 and Elite 8 when it was all the way out in San Francisco last year.

That's right.

There.

Some Razorback fans openly believe Teeter is as much of an integral part to reaching the Elite 8 as Eric Musselman or Anthony Black.

After having experienced the impact of Bones' actions and so many others who helped him be a part of Razorback history, Teeter said he wants to figure out a way to pay it forward.

"With Bobby doing that, that just shows me even more that when I get out of college and when I have a job and some money," Teeter said."I want to start something up where students can get tickets to these games or extra money through fans.

"Not like a club. A lot of students can't afford it. Some can. Their families help, but not everybody has their family's help. They have to work all the time and can't afford to go, so I think it would be awesome one day for myself to help out these students or maybe start something up where people can pitch in to help get students to these games."

Perhaps there are a few more celebrities with Arkansas ties willing to make that aspiration happen also.

Getting to know Josh Teeter

• Grew up in Ft. Smith in a home full of Razorback fans.

• Senior at the University of Arkansas.

• TWITTER: @joshteeter01
INSTAGRAM: @redcuparkansas

"I just love to interact with fans and try to get the world out about stuff. I really like to help the athletes out any way I can, especially if it comes to NIL. I am excited to go out there and share pictures and videos and stuff that people at home may not get to see. I think they will enjoy that because they have the past couple of years."