NYUL Football Classic Cancelled
November 7, 2012
Dear Friends,
We regret to inform you that the 2012 NYUL Football classic, scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 17th at Yankee Stadium has been canceled. The classic is a 40 year tradition that has endured changing attitudes and economic challenges. However, ours, like many other NYC events is not immune from the devastation Hurricane Sandy brought upon our city and its residents. We know that many residents that were hit hard throughout the five boroughs, Long Island, and New Jersey, are also those who faithfully purchase tickets to our game year after year in the spirit of education. In light of all that our neighbors are doing to repair their lives after Hurricane Sandy, we do not believe going forward with the game will have the positive financial and spirit lifting impact we’ve set out to achieve.
As one of the largest HBCU Football Classics, this decision was not made lightly. My sincere apologies for any inconvenience, especially to those of you who have already organized groups to come to New York to watch the Morgan State Bears take on the Hampton University Pirates. The game will be played at Morgan State University on November 17th.
The New York Urban League exists to provide critical resources to underserved populations of color. It never has, nor ever will be our practice to use our resources in a manner which doesn’t serve as a catalyst for us to further our mission of helping those in need.
For everyone that has purchased tickets to this year’s game, please note that you will receive a full refund. Information about how to obtain a refund can be found on our website at: www.nyul.org/fcrefund.
An event of this magnitude requires the collective effort of many -- I would be remiss if I did not thank the New York Yankees, Morgan State University and Hampton University for their support of our decision in this difficult time. I would also like to thank our many sponsors of the 41st Annual Football Classic: Armitron, Bank of America, Benjamin Moore, The Daily News, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Geico, Home Depot, MasterCard, McDonald’s, Miller Coors, Municipal Credit Union, New Era, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, PepsiCo, Subway and UPS.
The Football Classic has been one of our signature events for more than four decades and one of my favorites since taking the helm of the Urban League in 2009. The Football Classic is so much more than a game; it’s an opportunity for our community to come together to ensure that future generations have access to quality education. As a result of your continued generosity, since 1968, the NYUL has been able to assist more than 4,000 students of color with college expenses totaling over $20M through our Whitney M. Young, Jr. Scholarship Fund.
While our plans for this year’s game have been thwarted, what remains unchanged is our commitment to providing scholarships to college hopefuls. As we look ahead, our team has already begun to think about how we can make the next Football Classic the biggest and most successful, so that we can continue our work in the communities that we serve.
On behalf of the NYUL Board of Directors and staff, we thank you for your continued support and understanding in this matter.
Arva Rice
President and Chief Executive Officer
New York Urban League
