For 81 years, the Aggie-Eagle Classic football game has been synonymous with Aggie Pride.

On Sept. 5, the last Aggie-Eagle Classic game might be played .According to Kyle Serba, the assistant media relations director at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), the agreement to continue to play the game has not been made.

“This year is the last year in the contract between the two schools, and the decision hasn’t been made yet as to whether or not the game will continue,” Serba said.

Aggies and friends come from all over the U.S. to witness one of the nation’s most widely recognized rivalries–the A&T’s Aggies versus NCCU’s Eagles. The game is considered to be the largest historically black college or university (HBCU) sporting event in North Carolina and the 16th largest sporting event in the country.

Currently, the Aggies lead the series with 45 wins, 27 losses and 5 ties.

Former alumnus and A&T Student Government Association president, Terrance Jenkins shared his thoughts about the rumor.

Jenkins said he returns to North Carolina every year to participate in the classic’s events.

“If there is no more Aggie-Eagle Classic then the phrase Aggie Pride has lost some of its meaning for me as an Aggie,” Jenkins said. “This could possibly be the end of it, and it’s sad.”

The first Aggie-Eagle Classic took place on Nov. 22, 1924 in Durham. Every year after that, the location for the game alternated between Greensboro and Durham.

Since 1994, the classic has been played in Raleigh’s Carter-Finley Stadium, in order to accommodate the large amounts of people in attendance each year. The stadium holds a maximum of 53,500 people.

Carter-Finley Stadium is also cosidered to be a “centralized” location between A&T and NCCU.

Over the years, the games have drawn more than 30,000 fans, and on several occassions the crowd has consisted of nearly 50, 000 people.

Curtis Deloatch, a former Aggie Football player and alumnus said that when he was a student at A&T, he looked forward to playing in the Aggie-Eagle Classic every year.

“I can’t imagine what it would be like not to have played in it,” Deloatch said. “I feel bad for the new players who might not be able to participate in it next year.”

Delores Todd, the athletics director for A&T, said that the decision regarding the Aggie-Eagle Classic’s end will reflect what is best for A&T.

“The actual decision about the future of the game will not be decided until after this year’s game,” she said.

• Candra Whitley