Could it really be the Greatest Homecoming on Earth (GHOE)?

Whether or not North Carolina A&T State University truly holds the GHOE title is still up for debate in some circles but the largest HBCU’s legendary Aggie Pride is certainly giving everyone a run for their money this homecoming season. We’re still in the middle of summer, only three days into the month of August, and the historic Greensboro, NC school’s fall homecoming game on Saturday, October 31 is sold out.

That’s right: Sold Out.

According to HBCU Gameday, North Carolina A&T homecoming tickets sold out online within five minutes of their official on-sale date this morning. The highly-anticipated game is part of the school’s 100th homecoming celebration. While fellow HBCUs Howard University and Tuskegee University are making headlines for much different reasons, A&T students and alumni are clearly ready to celebrate.

The ticket office opened until 9 a.m. Online sales for A&T”s six home football games also began at 9 a.m. By approximately 9:05 a.m., the ticketing site listed the Oct. 31 homecoming game against Elon University as sold out according to reports. The extraordinary demand surrounding North Carolina A&T’s centennial celebration actually began last month. The university, which impressively produces more Black engineers than any other college or university nationwide, announced in July that it had already sold a school-record 6,000-plus season tickets. Those packages included access to the homecoming game, reducing the number of individual seats available today.

One of the many reasons A&T’s homecoming weekend is such a hot ticket is due to the tremendous local support the school receives. Aggie Pride extends far beyond the campus, with locals who never even attended a 4-year college or university. Part of that community engagement could be due to the connection Greensboro, and great North Carolina, residents have to the institution. The Greensboro Four are widely recognized for helping to spark what the world now knows as the sit-ins of the Civil Rights Movement. On February 1, 1960, Ezell Blair, Jr, David Richmond, Franklin McCain and Joseph McNeil, also known as the Greensboro Four, staged a peaceful sit-in at a segregated F.W. Woolworth’s lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. Those courageous A&T freshman made history.

It could also simply be that the homecoming is lit.

Either way, the football game is merely one of the many events that promises to be in high demand during the school’s homecoming festivities. More than 200,000 people are expected to participate in GHOE activities from October 25 through November 1. The weeklong schedule includes a parade, numerous alumni events, concerts, a Divine 9 step show, tailgating and other campus celebratory fetes.

Official hotel blocks opened July 27, with several properties selling out quickly. Partner rates ranged from $209 to $369 per night. Other listings climbed above $800 per night, while some short-term rentals reached a whooping several thousand dollars for the weekend, according to HBCU Gameday.

An A&T rising junior who goes by Bri Marie admits that she’s not really surprised by the high desire to secure homecoming game tickets in record-breaking time today. “GHOE is always a vibe and brings out alum who graduated 50 and 60 years ago. This year it will extra for the 100th anniversary. Last year we had a lot of streamers. I expect even more this year. A&T football games bring out everybody.”

Author: Bridgette Bartlett Royall

Read the original article on Essence.