CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two of North Carolina’s best-known college football programs are coming back to Charlotte. The Charlotte Sports Foundation and both schools said Tuesday that East Carolina and App State will play the 2029 edition of the Duke’s Mayo Classic, with Bank of America Stadium as the site.
The neutral-site game is set for Sept. 1, 2029, early in that season. It will be the second time the in-state rivals have met in the city, after they opened the 2020 season against each other at the same venue.
The Uptown stadium, home of the Carolina Panthers, sits on blocks shared with bank office towers, Romare Bearden Park and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, an area that fills with fans on Panthers and Charlotte FC game days.
East Carolina has a strong record in the building. The Pirates have won three of their six games there, starting with a 50-29 win over NC State in 1996, and have drawn an average of 53,774 fans per game in Charlotte. Their 2008 victory over No. 17 Virginia Tech pulled 72,169 people, a state college attendance record at the time.
ECU athletics leaders said the city gives the Pirates a way to reach alumni and supporters across the Piedmont and to recruit players from the region. The Charlotte Sports Foundation, which runs the annual game, called the matchup a showcase for football in the state.
The game is the third opponent announced for the Pirates 2029 schedule, which also includes home dates with Old Dominion on Sept. 15 and with Liberty a week later on Sept. 22. Ticket details will be released later.
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