Everything you need to know about the Jumpman Invitational and Charlotte’s two bowl games
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Charlotte is packed with college sports to close out 2023.
What’s happening: The city will host two bowl games and a basketball invitational: Famous Toastery Bowl, Jumpman Invitational and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, in that order.
- These are in addition to games for the college teams that call the area home.
Why it matters: Charlotte continues to draw high-profile collegiate sporting events and thus, lots of visitors.
- 15,196 people attended the inaugural Ally Tipoff between Iowa and Virginia Tech at Spectrum Center, for instance.
Here’s what you need to know about December’s events:
Famous Toastery Bowl
Catch up quick: The Charlotte 49ers will host their first bowl game on Monday, Dec. 18. The Bahamas Bowl relocated to Jerry Richardson Stadium and rebranded for the 2023 season, but is expected to return to the Bahamas in 2024 following stadium renovations.
Details: Old Dominion and Western Kentucky kick off at 2:30pm. The game will air on ESPN. Tickets start at $25.
The big picture: Mike Hill, 49ers director of athletics, says as the stadium expands the program will be able to host more events.
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Jumpman Invitational
Catch up quick: Jordan Brand and the Charlotte Sports Foundation, which organizes the invitational, signed a three-year deal during the summer of 2021. The lineup includes four schools with Jordan Brand deals: Florida, Michigan, North Carolina and Oklahoma.
Details: The Jumpman Invitational runs Dec. 19-20 at Spectrum Center. Each team will play one game. Tickets start at $68.50 for Dec. 19 and $90.10 for Dec. 20. Your ticket gets you into both games being played that day. You will need two tickets to attend all four games.
Women’s schedule:
- Dec. 19: North Carolina vs. Oklahoma 9:30pm on ESPN2.
- Dec. 20: Michigan vs. Florida 6:30pm on ESPN2.
Men’s schedule:
- Dec. 19: Michigan vs. Florida 6:30pm on ESPN.
- Dec. 20: North Carolina vs. Oklahoma 9pm on ESPN.
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Duke’s Mayo Bowl
Details: The Duke’s Mayo Bowl features North Carolina vs. West Virginia at 5:30pm on Dec. 27. Tickets start around $75. The game will air on ESPN.
Of note: North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, a Myers Park High alum, recently declared for the NFL Draft. He has opted not to play in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, but did not indicate the decision was related to the threat of mayo bath afterward, as Axios’ Michael Graff wrote.
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