Football season is here, and San Antonio is fired up. UTSA Roadrunners games, high school Friday nights across NEISD and Judson ISD, and everyone’s NFL team on Sunday. Whether you’re a sports bar on San Pedro or a wing spot near the Alamodome, football season is a built-in content engine for your social media. Here’s how to use it.
Game Day Specials…Post Them Thursday
Don’t wait until Sunday morning to promote your game day specials. Post them on Thursday so people can plan. “Sunday NFL Specials: $5 draft beers, half-price wings during every Texans and Cowboys game, and $20 buckets of domestics. Bring the crew.”
Pin the post to the top of your Facebook page for the entire weekend. Share it to your Instagram Stories with a countdown sticker. The key is getting the information out early enough that groups make your restaurant part of their game day plan.
UTSA Roadrunners Content
San Antonio loves the Roadrunners, and home games at the Alamodome bring fans who need to eat before, during, and after. If you’re anywhere near downtown, create UTSA-specific content. “Fuel up before the Roadrunners game…we’re a 5-minute walk from the Alamodome.” Or: “Post-game tacos? We’re open until midnight after every home game.”
Use the hashtags #UTSA, #BirdsUp, and #MeepMeep. Partner with UTSA student organizations for a discount: “Show your UTSA student ID and get 10% off on game day.”
Friday Night Lights
High school football is religion in San Antonio. If your restaurant is near a high school or stadium, tap into that energy. “Win or lose, celebrate at [Restaurant Name] after tonight’s game! Show your school colors and get a free appetizer.”
Tag the local high schools and use their mascot hashtags. Parents, players, and fans flood nearby restaurants after Friday games…make sure yours is the obvious destination.
User-Generated Content Campaigns
Encourage diners to post photos of their game day spread at your restaurant and tag you. Repost the best ones to your feed. “Share your game day setup at [Restaurant], tag us, and you could win a $50 gift card!”
User-generated content is free marketing. It shows real people enjoying your food in a game day atmosphere, which is more convincing than anything you could produce yourself.
Behind-the-Scenes Prep Content
Film your kitchen getting ready for a big game day. The wings being sauced, the nachos being loaded, the TVs being turned on, the staff wearing jerseys. This type of content performs well because it builds anticipation and shows the energy of your place before the crowd arrives.
A barbecue spot near Brooks City Base posted a Saturday prep Reel…brisket going on the smoker at 5 AM, sides being prepped, the bar being stocked…and it became their most viewed post of the year. Simple, authentic, effective. For more ways to leverage seasonal buzz, our guide to content marketing for restaurants during Fiesta uses the same playbook around a different San Antonio tradition.
Keep the Momentum Going
Football season runs through January. That’s five months of built-in content opportunities every single week. Create a simple template: Thursday special announcement, Friday high school tie-in, Saturday UTSA content, Sunday NFL coverage. Repeat weekly and adjust as the season evolves.
By January, your social following will be bigger, your engagement will be higher, and your restaurant will be the go-to game day spot in your neighborhood. When that following is built, keep them engaged with email marketing campaigns for summer specials and a holiday-ready Google Business Profile.
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