CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference Football Championship Game between the Clemson Tigers and North Carolina Tar Heels brought more than 60,000 fans to Uptown Charlotte on Saturday, according to the Charlotte Sports Foundation.
The game, which has been held in Charlotte several of the past few years, will remain in the Queen City through at least 2030, according to the ACC.
However, this year’s game marked Charlotte’s first time hosting since the ACC announced it was moving its headquarters to the area.
What You Need To Know
ACC announced its new headquarters would move to Charlotte earlier this year
The 2022 championship game brought more than 60,000 fans to Uptown
Local business says football fans account for a nice bump in business
Now, excitement is building the city will become a larger player in collegiate sports as its profile looks to rise in future years.
“But now that their headquarters is officially in Charlotte, we expect more events. We’re excited for the recognition it gives Charlotte. And, the excitement it brings the city,” said Miller Yoho with the Charlotte Sports Foundation.
The foundation is a nonprofit focused on bringing large, nationally relevant sporting events to Charlotte.
The ACC, which was historically rooted in Greensboro for years, announced it was moving to Charlotte earlier this year, citing many reasons for the change, including easier travel for fans and member institutions.
“Across all our events what we hear is, ‘It’s an easy city to get to.’ We have a world-class airport, then you have an Uptown that’s walkable. People don’t even have to rent a car. They can get an Uber, come Uptown, stay there, and then walk to all our incredible, first-class facilities,” Yoho added.
At Salud Beer Shop in NoDa, owner and co-founder Jason Glunt said sports are ingrained in their culture.
“If you look around, we have all of our team flags everywhere. We want to make it a part of who we are. This is what I love to do. I love sports. I love those teams. I love sharing a beer and watching a game with people,” Glunt said behind the bar Monday.
Glunt’s Salud Beer Shop, and the Cerveceria upstairs, has been in business 10 years. Monday, he said they love when visiting sports fans come to town.
“I think it’s great, it gets us to show, highlight our neighborhood, what we offer,” Glunt added.
Over the years, including this past weekend, he’s seen quite a few ACC crowds in town for football.
“You definitely see a little bit, it’s nothing like crazy. Get ready it’s all Clemson-North Carolina people. You see a good, steady stream all day, throughout the day, Friday and Sunday. It definitely helps, but it’s not like, ‘We’re going to make our weekend off this.’ You know? It’s a big boost, it’s a good boost. I think it’s great,” Glunt explained.
Glunt said in his experience a lot of college football fans are craft beer fans, so they go around to bars like his before or after games. Now, there is potential to grow a beer fanbase across the entire east coast.
“All the way to Syracuse to Miami. You know, you get the whole east coast represented. So, the ACC making the base here, only helps the community, helps local business, and throughout the year, not just football, not just basketball,” Glunt said.
He will have plenty of events to draw from as the year ends.
“I think this could be the most exciting month of sports events in Charlotte’s history,” Yoho said. “We have this brand-new event, the Jumpman Invitational, presented by Novant Health. It’s going to be four Jordan-brand schools, men’s and women’s.”
Also, the Duke’s Mayo Bowl announced its 2022 matchup Sunday featuring N.C. State and Maryland.