Magic City Classic economic impact tops $24 million, most ever

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Organizers estimate that this year's Magic City Classic packed an economic impact of $24.3 million, shattering previous records for the event. "We were projecting anywhere between $13 million and $15 million, and we would have been happy with that," Birmingham Mayor William Bell said.

Traditionally, the annual clash between Alabama State University and Alabama A&M has an economic impact between $15 million and $16 million, according to Gene Hallman, chief executive of the Alabama Sports Foundation, which organizes the Classic. The Greater Birmingham Convention and Visitors Bureau, which routinely calculates economic impact figures for major events, came up with the $24.3 million figure for this year's game.

Organizers say:
• Corporate sponsorship amounting to $890,000 was the most ever.
• The 66,473 tickets sold was not a record, but when combined with the estimated 40,000 tailgaters that remained outside Legion Field during the game, Hallman said it set a new mark.
• The 2.75 night average hotel stay was higher than in previous years.
• The $450,000 paid to each school was a new record, blowing past the $425,000 paid last year.

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Magic City Classic: Alabama State wins when lights go out for team and come on for Pitts

The lights went out on Alabama State Tuesday, in the middle of a nighttime practice. Just a few days later, the lights went on for talented, but fumble-prone running back Andrew Pitts.

The combination led to an easy 31-10 Magic City Classic victory against rival Alabama A&M Saturday afternoon at Legion Field before a reported crowd of 61,879 fans.

First the blackout: The campus-wide power outage hit in the midst of Tuesday drills, the most physical, routinely, of a game week. "Guys were out there in pitch dark and they still kept running drills," Alabama State coach Reggie Barlow said. "That's when I knew the game was won."

Magic City Classic at Legion Field Gallery

Hornets whip Bulldogs to snap losing streak

BIRMINGHAM, AL - Korey Morrison walked off the field wondering what had happened. So did Frank Kearse. In fact, a number of Alabama A&M's seniors, who had never lost to Alabama State in the Magic City Classic, did the same thing.

The Bulldogs, who had beaten the Hornets five straight times, saw their winning streak come to an end Saturday in the 69th edition of the largest black college football classic at Legion Field.




Alabama A&M fails to energize things in Magic City Classic

BIRMINGHAM, AL -- And once again they came by the thousands, for the football and the food, the music and the socializing, blessed by gorgeous weather and fueled by million-watt energy.

The Magic City Classic isn't a football game. It's an event. Sixty-nine editions of it now, between a pair of universities with so much in common -- and so much common disdain.

ALABAMA STATE 31, ALABAMA A&M 10: Hornets snap five-game Magic City Classic slide

BIRMINGHAM, AL -- Somebody turned out the lights on Alabama State Tuesday night. The Hornets responded with their best performance of the season on Saturday afternoon, bashing Alabama A&M 31-10 in front of 61,879 fans at Legion Field in the 69th Magic City Classic.

The Hornet defense forced four turnovers, and the offense rolled up a season-high 212 yards on the ground as Alabama State dominated the Bulldogs in surprisingly easy fashion to snap a five-game losing streak in the series.

Grading the Bulldogs

Offense: F - The Bulldogs turned the ball over four times [- one fumble and three interceptions [- and managed only 210 yards in total offense.

Defense: F - Alabama A&M tackle Frank Kearse and company, which had allowed just 95 yards rushing per game, gave up 212 against an Alabama State team that averaged just 88 yards on the ground coming into the game.

Magic City Classic Parade gets celebration on track in Birmingham

It was the "band"-standing, not the grandstanding that drew the crowds to the Magic City Classic parade in downtown Birmingham this morning.

With elections just three days away, the parade had its share of candidates running for local and statewide offices. There were even elected officials not currently running that will likely be looking for votes in the future.

The 69th Magic City Classic Parade Gallery


Attendance: 61,879
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