CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It's the North Carolina Tar Heels vs. the South Carolina Gamecocks in the Queen City for the Duke's Mayo Classic.
For a matchup of this magnitude, the Charlotte Sports Foundation expects more than 60,000 fans to show up to cheer on their team.
"Anytime there is primetime college football, 'College GameDay', the city really comes alive," Miller Yoho, a spokesperson for the Charlotte Sports Foundation, said.
What does the weekend look like?
The city will really come alive bright and early Saturday morning, Sept. 2 when ESPN's "College GameDay" hits the airwaves at 9 a.m. E.T.
"When the bright lights are on, there’s cameras all over the place, there’s interactive things, there’s DJ’s," Yoho explained.
It’s the third time the road show has made a stop in uptown Charlotte and first ever visit for a South Carolina vs. North Carolina game. When the three-hour show is over, fans can enjoy a FanFest in front of Bank of America Stadium at noon.
"We encourage fans to get here early, bring their signs and be ready to represent the Queen City," Yoho said.
College GameDay kicked off with a bang in Romare Bearden Park with fans waiting early Saturday morning for a chance to get to the front of the pit.
"We got up at 4:30 this morning, got some energy drinks and headed up to Charlotte," said Jeremy Mann, a Gamecock fan donning a chicken head. "Got our outfits ready and been up here waiting in line."
There were fans outrageous outfits and even more holding up clever signage.
Flocks of college football fans turned out for the Duke's Mayo Classic in Uptown
"Trying to get up front, you know, trying to get seen on that TV!" said Seth Hartnett, a shirtless Gamecock fan with 'SC' written on his chest in red paint.
Thousands came from near and far ready to cheer on their team and stand out from the crowd.
"There seems to be a good, even mix of South Carolina and North Carolina here, so that's pretty cool. Makes the rivalry a little more intense today," said Grayce Simpson, a Tar Heel fan who came with a friend wearing glittery hats and blue and white-striped overalls.
Gates open at 5:30 p.m. and the game starts at 7:30 p.m.
The Charlotte Sports Foundation encourages fans, from near or afar, to support local businesses and enjoy everything Charlotte and Uptown has to offer leading up to the game.
Are there any detours?
Ahead of this weekend's action, the Charlotte Area Transit System announced it would temporarily adjust routes on Saturday. There will be no missed stops during the detour.
Routes 1, 5, 7, 8, 16, 22, 26, 34, 35 are slated to be impacted on Mint Street. between Morehead Street and MLK Boulevard.
The detour is effective on Saturday from 3 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Fans packed into Uptown Charlotte and businesses have thrived from all of the people. At the French Quarter Tavern in Uptown please were lined up before 10 a.m. Server Alison Barros told WCNC Charlotte money had poured in.
“The alley has been packed all day and it’s been, we had a huge line out here all day,” Barros said. "Tips are crazy today. But the icing on the cake with this bad boy… a 500 dollar tip!"
A packed Uptown is becoming more and more common, New data released by the North Carolina Department of Commerce showed Mecklenburg County set a record for visitor spending in 2022. From 2021 to 2022, 5.3 billion more was spent by travelers which is an over 30% increase.
For a full list of events on Saturday, see this page on the CSF website.
Contact Destiny Richards at drichards5@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.