Provided by media contact: Miller Yoho, Charlotte Sports Foundation
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – This year's Duke's Mayo Classic was a celebration of the 100th anniversary of a historic HBCU rivalry, with North Carolina Central University defeating North Carolina A&T State University on Saturday, September 3rd in Bank of America Stadium.
With an attendance of 35,798 the event was estimated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority to generate $14.6 million in economic impact for the Charlotte region, including $7.9 million in direct visitor spending with 20,476 visitors to the Charlotte region.
To celebrate the incredible history of this rivalry the Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF), the
100 Black Men of Charlotte, and other partners hosted three days of events throughout the Charlotte region including a college and career fair, step show and a FanFest featuring local artists.
In addition to the economic impact, over $300,000 in donations, grants and scholarships were generated by the game.
Quotes
"Charlotte remains an amazing place for college fanbases to travel to and experience what makes college football special. I am so proud of the hard work our team put into making this Duke's Mayo Classic weekend special for the Aggies and the Eagles and am grateful for the support of our Board of Directors, Duke's Mayo and partners throughout the city and county." – Danny Morrison, executive director of CSF
"Seeing the impact of the Duke's Mayo Classic extend past the game and into the community was a thrill for the Duke's Mayo team and our partners. Using this year's kick off game and the surrounding events to showcase two HBCU institutions was extraordinarily important and we look forward to seeing the Aggies and Eagles in 2027!" – Joe Tuza, president of Duke's Mayo
"The incredible impact of this year's Duke's Mayo Classic goes well beyond what can be measured over a weekend. The celebration of these universities, their history, and HBCUs as whole was authentic, meaningful and embraced by the Charlotte community." – Johnny Harris, co-chair of CSF Board of Directors
"This year's Duke's Mayo Classic by all measures was a tremendous success. It is a testament to the partnerships and energy that exist in Charlotte that an already electric rivalry like the Aggie-Eagle Classic can come to the city and still have the same intensity, passion and pageantry that you would find on campus." – Andrea Smith, co-chair of CSF Board of Directors
About Charlotte Sports Foundation
The mission of the Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF), a 501(c)(3), is to provide leadership for sports- based initiatives that result in a positive impact on the economy and quality of life in the Charlotte region. CSF was created in the spring of 2013 as a combined entity of Charlotte's two primary sports development groups, Charlotte Collegiate Football and the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission. Its origins can be traced to the vision of Charlotte civic leaders after the very successful hosting of the 1994 NCAA Men's Final Four.
The Foundation also provides support for recruitment and operation of other local sporting events, and spearheads Charlotte's continued growth as a preferred host for premier national and regional sporting events. The events include college basketball's Jumpman Invitational, college football's Duke's Mayo Bowl, Subway ACC Football Championship Game and Duke's Mayo Classic.
The Board of Directors that guides the Charlotte Sports Foundation boasts a dynamic roster of top Charlotte civic and business leaders. Please visit www.CharlotteSports.org for more information.
