NEW ORLEANS — With Mayor Cantrell calling on major events to focus on 2021 and organizers swiftly responding, many were left asking what about football season?
For many, the New Orleans Saints were top of mind, but New Orleans also plays host to one of the largest HBCU classic games in the SWAC, the Bayou Classic. In canceling games like Bayou Classic it’s often forgotten that the weekend which attracts more than 200,000 visitors to New Orleans doesn’t just generate funds for the city but for the two institutions: Southern University A&M College and Grambling State University.
The game continues to show growth over the years. NOCCI CEO Dottie Belletto says while the weekend averages $50 million dollars in revenue, each University walks away with a net $1.5 million. This doesn’t include ancillary and private fundraising events.
“This is major for the athletic departments and for scholarships,” Belletto said.
While the mayor did call for the cancellation of major events, there hasn’t been clarification in regard to sports, but those conversations happen in layers. So far, the conversation in the SWAC division has not included the word cancel, at least according to SWAC Commissioner Dr. Charles McClelland.
“Fortunately for the Bayou Classic you're talking about Thanksgiving weekend,” McClelland said. “So, it does stretch out and give you an opportunity to buy some time.”
Rick Gallot, President of Grambling State University, says while there are still plans to move forward with the game the safety of the students and fans are top of mind and a game without an audience in attendance isn’t out of the question.
“We've planned, prepared and modeled a number of different scenarios where it could very well entail no audience and modified attendance but obviously, we are in very uncharted territory,” Gallot said.
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Ticket sales for last year’s Bayou Classic reached a record high. So much so that in 2020 NOCCI opened sales months earlier, giving those who want to attend time. Time is what they’re hoping is on their side. Since the game is not until Thanksgiving weekend, it gives SWAC officials more time to discuss contingencies before pulling the plug.
“You’re talking about a significant event with a lot of resources and a lot of revenue-generating power,” McClelland said. “Ultimately the overall prevailing theme is we don't want to put our student-athletes and our fans in a situation where they are going to be vulnerable to this pandemic.”
Both Gallot and McClelland says they have not heard personally from Mayor Cantrell calling on SWAC or either university to make changes to the game. If changes are made, though, Dottie says they are prepared.
“If the mayor decides that events such as Bayou Classic in November is not going to happen then that's okay because we are just going to keep moving forward, we are going to be innovative and we are going to keep raising money for scholarships,” Dottie said.
Federal funding for HBCU’s had run out on Oct. 1m but the Senate passed the bipartisan FUTURE (Fostering Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education) ACT permanently funding historically black colleges and universities.
The funding of $255 million will go towards those institutions. It is also expected to make FAFSA applications easier by eliminating certain questions.
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