CHARLOTTE — N.C. Central University and N.C. A&T State University attracted their largest crowd since 2001 for the 100-year-old rivalry last weekend at Charlotte’s NFL stadium. Organizers and others involved are encouraged by the results and hope to use the game as a springboard for similar events.
Both schools are HBCUs, short for historically Black colleges and universities. The A&T-Central rivalry, known as the Aggie-Eagle Classic, came to Bank of America Stadium over Labor Day weekend, marking the first time the city’s opening weekend game — the Duke’s Mayo Classic — featured HBCU teams.
Attendance was 35,798 for the game. Organizers limited seating to the lower level at the 75,000-capacity stadium. Their strategy was to create an ambience similar to Major League Soccer matches at BofA Stadium. Expansion MLS team Charlotte FC has mostly used a lower level-only set-up throughout its first season, creating a loud atmosphere by avoiding scattered empty sections in the upper deck.
The crowd was bigger than both schools’ on-campus venues can accommodate. A&T’s home field seats 21,500 while Central’s capacity is 10,000.
(WATCH BELOW: Local HBCU seeks to repair buildings as students return to campus)
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