Photos: Aggie-Eagle Classic celebrates an HBCU rivalry in Charlotte

State of play: Johnson and North Carolina A&T professor Arwin Smallwood discussed the 100-year football rivalry between the North Carolina A&T Aggies and the North Carolina Central Eagles Saturday at Brooklyn Collective. It was one of several events highlighting Historically Black College and University (HBCU) history and traditions Labor Day weekend.

• Ultimately, the Eagles beat the Aggies 28-13.

Between the lines: Johnson and Smallwood spoke on one of the nation’s most historic Black college football rivalries in one of the few historic buildings still standing in what was once a thriving Black neighborhood in Charlotte — Brooklyn, today known as Second Ward. The neighborhood was razed as part of urban renewal in the 1960s and ’70s.

Why it matters: For the first time, HBCU football kicked off college football at Bank of America Stadium to bookend a busy week for HBCUs in Charlotte.

What’s next: The teams will return in 2027 for the Duke’s Mayo Classic.

Here’s a look at the Aggie-Eagle Classic.

Plenty of people came out seemed to Camp North End to kick off the Aggie-Eagle Classic, including Mayor Vi Lyles.

• “Welcome, and have a damn good time,” Lyles said.