Truist Stadium

Truist Stadium opened in 1981 under the name Aggie Stadium. In 2018, the stadium’s name changed to BB&T Stadium. Two years later, the stadium’s name changed again to Truist Stadium. It is considered one of the finest facilities in the Triad. It is also the second-largest on-campus football facility in the Triad. It serves as the home of the North Carolina A&T football team, and fans have watched the team win more than 60 percent of its games there. The first game at the stadium featured a 21-14 win over archrival Winston-Salem State in front of 23,000 fans. From that day, Truist Stadium has served as a place to witness outstanding football, musical entertainment from the Blue and Gold Marching Machine, and one of the best college environments in college football.

It was designed by N.C. A&T alumnus W. Edward Jenkins, AIA, constructed for more than $2.5 million and occupies 125,755 square feet. With additional seating in 2003, Jenkins’ design evolved into a stadium that held a record crowd of 27,769.

1995 – During the first 14 years of the stadium’s existence, it seated 16,500. University officials installed 5,000 seats to complete an attractive horseshoe shape.

1999 – Ford Motor Company donated a generous amount toward the construction of lights and an electronic marquee.

2000 – For the first time since the stadium opened in 1981, the North Carolina A&T football team played under lights on Sept. 23, 2000. Elon University was the first opponent to face the Aggies under their new lighted stadium in front of 17,284 fans. The Aggies are 21-11 under the lights at home.

2001 – The university constructed the Joseph & Kathleen Bryan Fitness and Wellness Center adjacent to Truist Stadium. It is a $3 million, 25,000 square feet facility. It houses two spacious locker rooms, offices, a multipurpose room, large sports medicine areas, equipment, and a weight room.

2004 – The university installed a state-of-the-art Mondo Super X performance track named Irwin Belk Track (now Marcus T. Johnson Track). The track features eight 48-inch lanes and wide turns. There are two jumping pits; a shot put pit and a water pit for the steeplechase race. In addition, the hammer and discus throw compete just outside the stadium. Among the major events N.C. A&T has hosted since the track’s ribbon cutting on July 25, 2004, including the MEAC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the NCAA Division I East Preliminary Round, the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Class 1A, 2A, 3A and 4A Outdoor Track and Field Championships, the Junior Olympics, the New Balance Track and Field Nationals and the AAU nationals.

2005 – Athletics added a state-of-the-art video scoreboard. The scoreboard enhanced the gameday experience for fans by displaying replays, advertisements, crowd shots and announcements. The board also improved track and field events by replaying races and displaying the results immediately after their conclusion. The scoreboard stood at 66-feet high and 48-feet wide with a 23-foot video screen.

2012 – The university held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new stadium skybox on May 2, 2012. The new skybox adds to the beautiful skyline of North Carolina A&T State University. The box sits six stories high, with two towers to complement each side. The left tower consists of an ADA-compliant hydraulic elevator. An emergency exit stairwell is on the right side.

2014– Prominent alumna Janice Bryant Howroyd gave a generous gift toward constructing the new skybox and received naming rights for the ACT-1 Group Skybox.

2015 – N.C. A&T replaced the 2005 state-of-the-art video scoreboard with a high-definition LED panels and a replay screen. The new scoreboard allows the Aggies to display game statistics, game animations, rotating sponsorship advertisements while the video board shows content and its 20-foot wide 54-foot long video display.

2018 – It was announced on June 14, 2018, that North Carolina A&T’s football stadium would officially be called BB&T Stadium after BB&T gave a $1.5 million gift toward the stadium’s naming rights over the next 15 years.

2020 – A merger between BB&T and SunTrust led to another name change for the home of Aggies football. On August 8, 2011, the school announced that the Aggies home facility would be called Truist Stadium.