The Charlotte Sports Foundation is considering putting in a bid to host one of sports’ biggest events – the College Football Championship.
Will Webb, executive director of the Charlotte Sports Foundation, told me Tuesday discussions locally have turned serious about bidding to host the college football title game in 2018, 2019 or 2020. Bank of America Stadium, the 74,000-seat home of the Carolina Panthers, would be the site.
“We have not made a decision yet (on whether to bid),” Webb told me. “I think we could do it. We’ve got the best open-air stadium in the country.”
In recent years, Charlotte has gained more experience hosting large events. The ACC Championship, Belk Bowl and CIAA tournament are held there annually. The city was also home to the Democratic National Convention in 2012. All of these events drew tens, if not hundreds of thousands to Uptown Charlotte.
“Look what the city did (with those events),” Webb said. “Charlotte’s got energy. It’s got infrastructure. We’re evaluating the process of what it would take to put forth a winning bid.”
The committee is expected to make a final decision about if they will place a bid later this spring