Charlotte college football kickoff organizers expect a sellout

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — For the third time in four years, Charlotte will be among a handful of cities hosting a neutral-site college football kickoff game when West Virginia plays Tennessee at Bank of America Stadium. And organizers anticipate a sellout at the 74,000-capacity NFL stadium.

If they succeed, it will be quite a turnaround after disappointing turnouts in 2015 (North Carolina versus South Carolina) and 2017 (N.C. State vs. South Carolina). In both cases, attendance was about two-thirds of capacity, a surprise given the pedigree and popularity of the schools involved and easy driving distances for fans from those campuses.

Will Webb, head of the Charlotte Sports Foundation, the nonprofit that runs the Belk Kickoff Game as well as the annual bowl game in December, told CBJ Friday that more than 40,000 tickets have been sold for the Sept. 1 matchup between West Virginia and Tennessee. He said a sellout is likely, based on advance sales and interest from the two schools.

College football has become a focal point for local sports and tourism executives. There are several reasons for that, starting with an agreement reached in 2013 with the stadium owner: the NFL Carolina Panthers. City Council approved spending $75 million of tourism tax money to help pay for stadium renovations and, in return, the Panthers agreed to provide five rent-free dates each year for tourism-friendly events.

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