Exclusive | Jets cancel invite to super fan set to take $100K field goal challenge in honor of her late father: ‘Could have made it’
Jets Remove Long Island Fan From $100,000 Field‑Goal Contest After Rule Issue
The New York Jets stunned a longtime supporter Monday when they pulled her name from the team’s $100,000 “Kick for Cash” halftime competition just days before Saturday’s home game.
Who It Affected
Ashley Castanio‑Gervasi, a 33‑year‑old math teacher and former goalkeeper at Stony Brook University, had earned a spot in the contest’s final round by making a successful field‑goal during a qualifying round. She had been told the Jets would let her try again on the field at MetLife Stadium, where the winning distance would determine the $100,000 prize.
When the Jets discovered that she is the head coach of the Long Beach High School girls’ soccer team, they cited competition rules that bar recent coaches and athletes in high‑school, college, Olympic, rugby, and football programs from participating. Castanio‑Gervasi, a former college soccer player, was told that her eligibility was voided.
“This is life‑changing money for me,” she said. She added that she was confident she could have won the $100,000.
A Quick Sequence of Events
Castanio‑Gervasi was first approached by Jets staff after she executed a casual, for‑fun kick at a tailgate party during a Jets‑Bills game in September. The team later invited her back for a qualifying attempt in front of a small crowd outside MetLife Stadium during a Jets‑Panthers game. She knocked the ball down the line, becoming the only woman to reach the final round of the contest.
She had received a call from Jets personnel to review the competition rules and sign an affidavit, just as the other finalists were required to do. “This was the first time I was hearing of any of these questions,” she told The Post.
Reaction From the Jets
The Jets released a statement indicating that the decision was a simple case of following the rules. They added that they would provide an alternative benefit and that a donation would be made to the Esophageal Cancer Education Foundation, a cause her late father supported.
In the statement, the team said: “In accordance with competition rules and regulations, one individual who successfully made the qualifying kick will not be able to advance to the final stage of the challenge.” The Jets described the situation as “disappointing” but emphasized that they were “making an effort to provide an alternative benefit to show our appreciation.”
The Personal Side
Castanio‑Gervasi has been a Jets fan since childhood, growing up in a family that spent a lifetime estimate of $1 million on season tickets and watched the team from the 200‑level at MetLife Stadium. Her father, Frank, was a diehard Jets supporter before he passed from esophageal cancer in 2011.
After his death, the fan community, and especially her sister group, have taken it upon themselves to maintain the family’s tradition of watching the Jets.
She said she had plans to use the money toward buying her first house and supporting the Esophageal Cancer Education Foundation, but the Jets’ decision has left her and her family upset.
“The whole thing is extremely upsetting,” she said.
What This Means
While the Jets offered a custom jersey and a $100 Visa gift card as a consolation, Castanio‑Gervasi said she will skip the home game in protest—a first time she’s missed a home game in a decade of attendance.
Her story underscores how fan incentive programs can clash with the rules that govern them, and it has raised questions about how to balance fairness, inclusivity, and the spirit of fan engagement.
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