North Carolina will face South Carolina Thursday at Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium to start the college football season, and Charlotte Sports Foundation Exec Dir Will Webb said that games between the schools "are coming" to the venue, according to David Scott of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. Webb said, "We're very close on a deal for at least two more games." He added that dates for future games "aren't set, but should be soon." Scott notes about 50,000 tickets "have been sold" for Thursday’s game in the 73,298-seat stadium. Originally scheduled for Saturday, the game "was moved to Thursday to accommodate ESPN." Webb said the attendance goal is “the low- to mid-50,000s.” He added that the Thursday date "might be adversely affecting ticket sales" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 9/1). Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority CEO Tom Murray yesterday said he and others officials are hoping for a “lot of last-minute sales.” However, Murray indicated that a "lot of people are frustrated that only upper-level tickets remain, prompting many fans to either search the secondary market or watch on ESPN." Murray: "We originally thought it would be a sellout. I’m not sure that it will be.” All lower-level seats "were sold as of last week" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 8/31).
