WSSU to host inaugural WSSU Classic

WINSTON-SALEM, NC
Winston-Salem State University has announced the inauguration of the Winston-Salem Football Classic with a list of activities to be held from Sept. 15 – 17. The three-day community-centered event is described as one of the strongest community partnerships in WSSU athletic history with the Rams joining strengths with the City of Winston-Salem and Winston-Salem Forsyth County School System.

“We are excited about the launch of the inaugural Winston-Salem Classic,” said Tonia Walker, WSSU Director of Athletics. “Lots of planning has gone on behind the scenes to ensure the weekend is a memorable one. It’s more than just a game for us – it’s an opportunity for partner with the city of Winston-Salem and heighten the exposure about WSSU and celebrate our value within the city.

The Winston-Salem Football Classic will have activities from Thursday, Sept. 15 thru Saturday’s non-conference game against fellow CIAA member Virginia Union. WSSU professors, staff and student/athletes will host some 700 7th graders from across Forsyth County on Thursday, Sept. 15 to learn academic concepts. Students will also tour the campus radio station and the school of Health Science’s virtual hospital.

The Classic weekend continues on Friday, Sept. 16 with the WSSU football team and the Panthers of Virginia Union visiting area middle schools, and volunteering throughout selected schools. The day will conclude with the Winston-Salem Classic Banquet that is open to the public and will honor one of the most decorated men in college athletics, former WSSU and North Carolina A&T head coach William “Bill Hayes.

On Saturday, Sept. 17 the real festivities begin, with the We See Red Block Party, the six-hour day will feature games, vendors, exhibition booths, community group performances, radio personalities and food trucks. At 5 p.m. the world-renowned WSSU Red Sea of Sound Marching Band will lead fans from main campus to Bowman Gray Stadium for the 6 p.m. helmet-to-helmet matchup with the Rams and the Panthers.