Boeing has signed up as title sponsor of ESPN Events' inaugural Red Tails Classic college football kickoff game.
The game, which will be played Sept. 5 in Montgomery, Alabama, with Tuskegee playing Fort Valley State, was created to celebrate historically Black colleges and universities and honor the Tuskegee Airmen.
Boeing has agreed to sponsor the game for three years.
“Boeing is pleased to pay tribute to the Tuskegee Airmen and celebrate the contributions of HBCU graduates by sponsoring ESPN Events’ inaugural Red Tails Classic,” said Ted Colbert, president and CEO of Boeing Global Services. “As a proud HBCU graduate, I am gratified by Boeing’s dedicated efforts to advance a more equitable future for our employees and our communities.”
Since 2018, Boeing has invested more than $10 million in HBCU partnerships and increased HBCU intern hiring by more than 400%. This includes a partnership between Boeing and Allen University, unveiled in 2020, to establish the Boeing Institute on Civility.
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The game will air on ESPNU.
“As ESPN honors the legacy and perseverance of the Tuskegee Airmen, we are proud to welcome Boeing as the title sponsor for this historic event,” said Clint Overby, VP of ESPN Events. “Boeing’s pioneering history in aerospace makes them the perfect fit for this matchup, as we continue to highlight college football and the importance of HBCUs.”
The Boeing Red Tails Classic is one of 22 college football events owned and operated by ESPN Events. Many were canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic last year.
