This Utah student hit a $5,000 halfcourt shot but is reportedly too young to get the prize money

It’s not often that you see those halfcourt shots at halftime during basketball games go in. That’s why there are always pretty hefty prizes attached to them for the people that make them.

But, apparently, there’s an age limit for people eligible to win the price. At least there was at the Utah Utes game on Friday night. Charlie Caine, a student at Utah, made a halfcourt shot at the Utes’ game and was supposed to be rewarded $5,000 for it. But he says he was told he was too young to receive the prize money.

Caine is 17 years old. I have no clue if there’s normally an age limit for people who participate in things like this, but that stinks. Making the shot is cool enough on its own. But winning money? That’s awesome. Caine earned it, but he isn’t getting it because of his age.

Rules are rules, but if you ask me he deserves to be paid. And there are other people who feel the same way.

If Caine was ineligible to win money, he shouldn’t have been eligible to take the shot. But he did take it and he made it. There has to be some reward attached to that accomplishment for him.

There is some hope, though. After seeing Caine’s message, the Mountain America Credit Union reached out to him in an attempt to find a resolution.

UPDATE: Caine received further clarification from Mountain America. They weren’t the sponsor of the event, so he reportedly reached out to the university’s athletic department to see if they can resolve the issue. There’s a meeting scheduled already.

Hopefully, someone gets this kid paid. Because he deserves it.