Photo by Savannah Schmidt.
Wunderfan app founder Blake Patterson shows off the app's features at Mountain Brook High School on Feb. 24, 2025.
Blake Patterson, a Mountain Brook native and entrepreneur, has built a career launching successful tech startups. Now, his latest venture, Wunderfan, is gaining traction as colleges look for new ways to keep students engaged in sports. The app, which rewards fans for attending games, making predictions and interacting with sports content, is at the center of a new competition: Wunder Madness, a Florida vs. Alabama showdown where participants can compete for $5,000 or a trip to the Final Four.
Set to launch on Monday, Wunder Madness gives users a chance to earn points by staying engaged with their teams. While students — who can rack up points by attending games and campus events — have the best opportunity to win, the contest is open to anyone, making it a statewide battle for bragging rights. The goal is to boost attendance, increase school spirit and connect local businesses with college communities.
The contest comes at a pivotal time for basketball in Alabama. Auburn and Alabama have spent most of the season ranked No. 1 and No. 2 nationally, while Birmingham-based UAB and Samford are each making strong pushes for their own conference titles. In a state where college football usually dominates, this season has been a rare moment where basketball is at the center of the conversation.
For Patterson, whose background includes leading multiple tech ventures to successful exits, Wunderfan is an effort to address a growing challenge in college athletics: declining student attendance and shifting fan habits. With the NCAA Tournament approaching, the competition offers a test of how digital engagement can help keep younger fans connected to their teams.
“Schools are looking for new ways to build fan loyalty, and Wunderfan rewards students for being part of the experience,” Patterson said. “March Madness is the perfect time to show how this model works.”
And with big prizes on the line, fans across two of the nation’s most passionate college football states will soon find out if engagement alone can be enough to win.
Wunder Madness begins March 3. To download the Wunderfan app, visit wunderfan.com.
