By Mark Ambrogi
Mark Van Zant figures he has a product to rival cornhole as the favorite game of tailgaters.
Van Zant, a Zionsville entrepreneur, is the owner of Tabletop Football. Mike Swalley, a Brownsburg resident, created the game and worked on it for five years. Swalley, a business associate of Van Zant, has handed over the project’s reins to Van Zant.
“We’re trying to keep his dream alive.” Van Zant said. “He developed it to a certain point, and in the last year I took over the project for him and the patents. We’re ready to take it to the mass market.”
The marketing campaign is “Cornhole is Scared!”
The table top football game pivots on a single point. The object is to get the ball through one of three holes in the end zone, two are field goals and one is a touchdown.
“You are tilting or maneuvering the board to play the game,” Van Zant said. “It’s unique that you’re moving the whole board instead of moving pieces around on the board yourself.”
Van Zant said he is trying to raise funds through sales of the game on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform.
“We’re hopeful to get the funds we need to have reengineered and retooled to be mass produced,” Van Zant said. “The funds we raise on Kickstarter will help us with all the development costs in addition to providing a finished product to the public. Then it will be available to the public for $60 or $80 once it hits the market.”
Van Zant, 42, said the game can be purchased on Kickstarter for $69. There are seven different buying levels.
There are five different interchangeable tops as of now. In addition to football, there is basketball, golf, soccer and a World War II Air & Sea theme. Hockey and baseball tabletops are planned.
“It will fold up easily, so we’re really targeting the tailgate market,” Van Zant said. “We think there is market there for more games. The key is to make it transport.”
Van Zant, who owns Designer Glass Solutions, said the long-term goal is to include collegiate and NFL licensing so different teams will be available.
For more, visit tabletop-football.com. The Kickstarter campaign will end Nov. 15.
