100,000-plus college football fans are coming to Charlotte next week. Here’s what to know
The Clemson-Georgia battle in Bank of America Stadium over Labor Day weekend will headline a weekend that will see close to 110,000 fans attend at least one college football game in uptown Charlotte.
Danny Morrison, the executive director of the Charlotte Sports Foundation, said in an interview Thursday that he expected the Clemson-Georgia game Sept. 4 to be sold out, with as many as 74,000 fans in attendance. The Saturday night game pits two teams ranked in the top five, both with national championship aspirations, and has lured ESPN’s College GameDay show to Charlotte as well.
On Sept. 2, two days before Clemson-Georgia, Appalachian State will host East Carolina in Bank of America Stadium on Thursday night. For that game, Morrison said, the crowd would likely be “32,000 to 35,000.”
“What’s exciting,” Morrison said, “is we’ll have more than 100,000 visitors between the two games, and probably more like 110,000. Think about the power of that in a year where the hospitality industry has just been crushed (by COVID-19).”
The two games comprise the Duke’s Mayo Classic doubleheader. A third huge college football game in Charlotte also will be played that weekend, about 10 miles north of the Panthers’ stadium. The Charlotte 49ers will host Duke on Friday, Sept. 3 — it’s the first time that the 49ers have ever hosted a Power Five opponent at their campus stadium.
The Clemson-Georgia game, in particular, will pose a significant test for a football stadium that hasn’t been at capacity since before COVID-19 largely shut down the sports world in March 2020. The two college games next week will follow the same protocols that have been in place for the Carolina Panthers in preseason, meaning that fans won’t have to wear a mask while outdoors and won’t have to show proof of vaccination to attend but must wear a mask in all indoor areas.
“Masks are required for inside spaces,” Morrison said, “and so fans will need to bring one, if only to go to the restroom. Also, all the tickets are mobile, and so it’s important to make sure you have your digital tickets well in advance. And get there early. There are going to be a whole lot of people.”
Here are a few other FAQs about the two games at Bank of America Stadium, based on Morrison’s interview with The Observer and the games’ website.
Q: Are there tickets available for these Bank of America stadium games?
A: There are plenty available for the App State-ECU game Sept. 2, which will likely be played in front of a half-full stadium, starting at about $47 apiece for upper-deck tickets, according to Ticketmaster.
There are basically no tickets available for Clemson-Georgia on Sept. 4, unless you are willing to pay top dollar on the secondary market. Both games kick off at 7:30 p.m.
Q: How will the end zones look?
A: The Appalachian State-ECU game is officially a Mountaineer home game, so both end zones will be painted in App State colors. Clemson-Georgia is officially a neutral-site game, so one end zone apiece will be painted for the Tigers and Bulldogs. The stadium seating for that game will be split down the middle, with each team likely having about 37,000 fans. The Duke’s Mayo Classic logo will be at midfield for both games, rather than the normal Panther logo. The Panthers’ usual coloring will return for Carolina’s regular-season opener on Sept. 12.
Q: Is there anything I can do for free if I don’t have tickets?
A: Yes. There is a Friday night concert and Fan Fest near the stadium that is free and starts at 7, featuring Ingrid Andress and Warren McZeke. Fan Fest that night runs from 6:30-10:30. There are also Fan Fest events before the games Thursday and Saturday, starting in the late afternoon.
Q: Can I print tickets for these games at home?
A: No. PDF tickets aren’t valid for entry. All tickets are mobile — Panther games are also under this policy — and can be managed through the free Charlotte Sports Foundation mobile app. Go to DukesMayoClassic.com for more information.
Q: What will halftime look like?
A: At both games, both teams’ college bands are expected to perform.
Q: If I don’t like football and just want to avoid the traffic, what should I do?
A: Stay away from the Bank of America stadium area from about 3 p.m. until midnight on Sept. 2-4.
