Bill Hancock, chief executive officer of the College Football Championship, visited Charlotte earlier this week to take a look at the city’s bid to host the national title game in either 2019 or 2020. Hancock, who directed the NCAA basketball tournament’s Final Four in Charlotte in 1994, answered five questions from the Observer’s David Scott about Charlotte and its chances at landing the title game (he said an announcement is expected in early November): Q. What are you looking for in a city? A.“Broadly, we’re looking at the infrastructure of the city, the stadium, hotels, airport and air service. But it is also helpful to get a handle on a city’s ability to stage a big event by trying the find the human part of it – the desire, the heart. I wouldn’t want to read too much into this because we are so early in the process. And let’s just say we were very impressed with Charlotte.” Q. How has Charlotte’s evolution as a town supporting college football – the ACC championship game, the Belk Bowl, several regular-season games in Bank of America Stadium and the Charlotte 49ers’ moving into FBS – attracted the attention of the committee? A.“Charlotte has made great strides as a college football town. The sport was almost nonexistent there 20 years ago. Others have stepped up too, but it would be hard to find one that’s grown with the sport as dramatically as Charlotte has.” Q. Is the uncertainty of the weather during January a hindrance to Charlotte’s chances…
Continue Reading: College football title game CEO Hancock ‘very impressed with Charlotte’
