By Denny O'Brien
©2008 Bonesville.net
All Rights Reserved.

East Carolina has had some memorable moments in Bank of America Stadium. A few forgettable ones, too.

The Pirates’ blowout over N.C. State in 1996 and their thriller over West Virginia in 1999 obviously come to mind. Though the Pack soundly pummeled the Pirates in 2004, it at least was attached to a silver lining – the merciful end to the John Thompson experiment.

And don’t forget the many individual highlights that Charlotte has staged.

A personal favorite was watching Larry Shannon go Usain Bolt on the N.C. State defense. The yellow towel he retrieved from his trousers should be encased and on display in ECU’s Murphy Center.

Scott Harley’s 351-yard rumble through the mud remains the top rushing performance in East Carolina history. The stains that covered the jerseys of State’s defenders were Harley’s footprints, the perfect punctuation to ECU’s thorough domination that day.

Not to be forgotten was the duel between ECU’s David Garrard and WVU’s Marc Bulger. Who knew that was a showcase for two of the NFL’s future elite trigger men?

With East Carolina’s next visit to Charlotte only a few days away, another opportunity to add to the annals awaits. And while some might question the logic for facing a regional opponent on a neutral stage, I find it more curious that ECU hasn’t done it more often.

Thankfully ECU now has an AD who understands the value in making more appearances in the Queen City.

“In general, neutral site games provide both teams with an opportunity to reach out to a new audience that is beyond the reach of the ‘home and home’ agreements for a number of reasons,” ECU AD Terry Holland said. “In the specific case at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, ECU and Virginia Tech have the opportunity to showcase their programs in the region's largest media market.

“This market also has a huge number of alumni from both institutions and an even larger number of potential students (and athletic recruits) that need to know more about our respective institutions. By making ourselves more visible and by having a regular presence in this market, ECU Athletics is actively investing in ECU's future instead of sitting at home bemoaning the fact that ECU has little visibility or presence in the area.”

And it’s an important market in which to increase ECU’s visibility.

By far Mecklenburg County is the state’s most fertile breeding ground for blue chip football recruits. But historically the area hasn’t provided East Carolina the recruiting success that it has to its western rivals, or to the high-profile programs in South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Perhaps more regular appearances in Charlotte – ones that feature match-ups with intriguing regional opponents from outside North Carolina – could help ECU bridge the geographic recruiting gap. If ECU could sweeten the deal with at least one “home” game for each Charlotte-area recruit, maybe that would help the Pirates’ staff wrestle prospects away from other suitors.

ECU is already adding South Carolina to its future schedule rotation, with at least one appearance slated for Charlotte. Just imagine if upcoming Bank of America Stadium appearances included dates with Clemson, Georgia, or Tennessee.

That would generate buzz among fans, guarantee a desirable slot on national television, and provide a bowl-like setting. It's the Triple Crown as far as the regular season is concerned, and it is a trend that is gaining steam across the country.

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party – the annual battle between Florida and Georgia – has been a staple in Jacksonville, Florida since 1933. This Saturday, Clemson faces Alabama in Atlanta, while Missouri and Illinois meet in St. Louis.

Each guarantees a packed house on national TV.

Now if East Carolina was privileged with membership in the Big East or some other BCS-guaranteed league, perhaps adding future appearances in Charlotte wouldn’t make sense. If that were the case, the Pirates could afford to schedule down by paying lesser opponents to travel to Greenville.

But as long as the Pirates are members of Conference USA, it makes sense to schedule southeastern powers on a neutral field. It provides an enticing bargaining chip for entering into long-term relationships like Holland has with Virginia Tech and South Carolina – agreements the Pirates need given their current league scenario.

It also provides some built-in visibility that C-USA otherwise does not afford. Maybe with the exception of a Liberty Bowl appearance, Saturday’s duel with the Hokies will shine the brightest single-game spotlight the Pirates will experience this season.