Husky Superfan

A way for UW students to get super involved in UW athletics (organize tailgates, meetups with athletes, etc). It also serves as a way for athletes to earn money through autograph sessions and more.

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Inspiration

As college students, game days at University of Washington are some of the most exciting parts of campus life — the energy, the tailgates, the packed stands, and the sense of community. But it’s often hard to organize or find where the action is: tailgates are scattered, athlete experiences are word-of-mouth, and fans don’t always have an easy way to connect.

Husky Superfan was born to bring all that energy into one app — a platform where students can discover tailgates, attend exclusive athlete experiences, and celebrate UW sports together.

What it does

Shows upcoming tailgates on an interactive map, so students can easily find where to go on game day. Lets fans swipe through exclusive experiences with athletes (e.g., meet & greets, autograph sessions, haircuts from student-athletes). Allows users to log in, view events, and collect badges that celebrate their Husky pride. It basically connects fans to athletes and events in one place.

How we built it

Frontend: React Native with Expo for fast cross-platform development. Auth & Data: Firebase Authentication and Cloud Firestore for secure login and account creation. Maps: Leaflet embedded via WebView for an interactive map without a custom native build. UI/UX: Custom swipeable react-native cards for athlete experiences, static tailgates to demo core flows, and a static profile page to showcase user engagement.

Challenges we ran into

Getting Firebase environment variables working properly in Expo was trickier than expected. I learned a lot about .env loading and Expo config. Using react-native-maps in Expo Go caused native module errors, so I pivoted quickly to a Leaflet WebView fallback to stay on schedule. Debugging routing issues with Expo Router, making sure every screen was structured correctly with _layout.tsx and default exports.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

I built a fully functional MVP in less than 24 hours, complete with login, map, and swiping experiences. Found creative solutions (like the Leaflet map) to keep shipping fast instead of getting stuck on native build problems. Created a concept that actually resonates with students — this is something people on campus would genuinely use.

What we learned

How to quickly adapt when a tool doesn’t work the way you planned. How to structure an Expo project cleanly with authentication, routing, and third-party services. The power of building something community-driven that connects real people through shared experiences.

What's next for Husky Superfan

Dubhacks Next Adding real-time Firestore data for tailgates and experiences, so students and athletes can post their own events. Integrating secure payments (e.g., Stripe) for booking experiences directly through the app. Gamifying the platform with badges, leaderboards, and rewards for superfans. Partnering with athletic departments to make athlete-led experiences official.

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