The Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF) announced that Carolinas-founded Duke’s Mayonnaise has become the new title sponsor of the regular season college football game and postseason bowl game played in Charlotte. 

The partnership with Duke’s Mayonnaise, a staple in southern recipes for over 100 years, begins with this year’s games. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Duke’s Mayo Classic is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 26, with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish taking on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Tickets for the Duke’s Mayo Classic are on sale and available at www.DukesMayoClassic.com or www.Ticketmaster.com.

The 19th-Annual Duke’s Mayo Bowl will take place this bowl season at a date to be determined, for the first time featuring a matchup of the Atlantic Coast Conference against the Big Ten Conference. The Southeastern Conference will rotate with the Big Ten every other year.

The two games have had a combined economic impact of $145 million to the Charlotte community over the last three years. In addition to $78 million in direct spending, the games have been responsible for 135,000 hotel room night bookings.

“CSF is very proud to announce Duke’s Mayonnaise as our new title sponsor,” said Danny Morrison, executive director of the Charlotte Sports Foundation. “The Duke’s brand is synonymous with mayonnaise in every kitchen in the south. Partnering with such a storied, regionally based partner is an energizing opportunity for CSF. We look forward to promoting their iconic brand on a national level, and we’re excited to operate the bowl and kickoff games in 2020 and beyond with Duke’s Mayonnaise as our partner.”

“We are very eager to spread our name across college football with the Duke’s Mayo Classic and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl,” said Martin Kelly, president and CEO of Sauer Brands Inc., owner of the Duke’s Mayonnaise brand. “Sponsoring these great games is the perfect opportunity to increase our brand recognition throughout the country. But even more importantly, it is a way for us to impact the local community. The games are a proven economic boost to the region, especially the hospitality and food service industries that have been hit so hard during this pandemic. Partnering with the Charlotte Sports Foundation to ensure the future of these games gives Duke’s Mayonnaise great exposure while championing economic recovery and growth.”

“Title sponsors have played vital roles in the growth of the bowl into a premiere event in Charlotte each year and one of the nation’s most successful bowl games,” said Johnny Harris, board chairman of the Charlotte Sports Foundation. “We are proud to have Duke’s Mayonnaise as a partner to continue the tradition of excellence this bowl has established. The Duke’s Mayo Classic and Duke’s Mayo Bowl are directly responsible for supporting hard-working members of the Charlotte community in industries that desperately need it.”

 Duke’s Mayonnaise celebrated 100 years of its bold and palate-thrilling presence in southern cuisine in 2017. In addition to the five new regionally inspired Duke’s Southern Sauces and Duke’s Real Mayonnaise (still made according to Eugenia Duke’s original recipe), the brand offers light mayonnaise, mayonnaise with olive oil, tartar sauce and sandwich relish.) For more information, go to www.dukesmayo.com.

Duke’s Mayonnaise is owned by Sauer Brands, Inc., which was founded as The C.F. Sauer Company in 1887 in Richmond, VA. 

Today, the company produces a broad line of inspired flavors to excite and delight consumers in the condiments, spices, seasonings and extracts categories. The company’s manufacturing facilities include locations in Richmond, Virginia; Greenville, South Carolina; New Century, Kansas; San Luis Obispo, California, and Elk Grove Village, Illinois.

Besides Duke’s Mayonnaise, the company’s brands include The Spice Hunter, Sauer’s, Gold Medal, BAMA, Kernel Seasons, and Tasty Shakes. Sauer Brands also produces private label products for the retail and food service channels. Learn more at www.sauerbrands.com.

Duke's has grown popular since its humble beginnings in Greenville, and is considered a key ingredient in countless regional delicacies.

The Charlotte Sports Foundation (CSF), a 501(c)(3), was created in the spring of 2013 as a combined entity of Charlotte’s two primary sports development groups, Charlotte Collegiate Football and the Charlotte Regional Sports Commission. Its origins can be traced to the vision of Charlotte civic leaders after the very successful hosting of the 1994 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

CSF’s future regular season football games include East Carolina University vs. Appalachian State University and the University of Georgia vs. Clemson University (2021), and the University of North Carolina vs. the University of South Carolina (2023).