What Charlotte Touchdown Club does

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Sports-Social organization founded in 1990 and headquartered at 7725 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Suite 103, in Charlotte, North Carolina. It operates a portfolio of football recognition programs, community events, and a scholarship fund that has cumulatively disbursed more than $3,000,000 to area student-athletes and athletic programs. Its flagship asset is the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, awarded annually since 1993 in partnership with the Football Writers Association of America (1,300 members) to the best defensive player in college football, making the Club a member of the National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA). The organization also presents the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award, the Defender of the Nation Award (for military academy players), and a suite of Prep and Youth awards including Coach of the Year, Student-Athlete of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, and Female Flag Football awards.

The Club's event portfolio includes the annual black-tie Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet, the monthly Legends of the Game Luncheon Speaker Series presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners, the Carolina Panthers Kickoff Lunch, and the Sponsor Team Golf Classic. These events, alongside corporate sponsorship tiers (Presenting, Super Bowl, Pro Bowl, All-Pro), individual donations at $50–$1,000 levels, and media partnerships with WBT 107.9FM, WFNZ 92.7FM, and Radio One Charlotte, constitute the Club's go-to-market and fundraising mechanics. The Club maintains a Sponsor Team of 80+ companies and direct relationships with 80+ regional high school athletic programs and multiple local colleges including Davidson College, UNC Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith University, Gardner-Webb University, Wingate University, and Catawba College.

Revenue is generated through three primary streams: corporate sponsorships (including Coca-Cola Consolidated as the presenting sponsor of the Nagurski Trophy), individual donations and fundraising (with all net proceeds benefiting the Touchdown Club Scholarship Fund), and event ticket revenue. The organization is led by Executive Director John Rocco, President Josh Schlechty, and a Board of Directors drawn from local business leadership, and operates with 11–50 employees as a private non-profit governed by its board without external ownership.

Name

Charlotte Touchdown Club

Legal name

Charlotte Touchdown Club Inc.

Website

https://touchdownclub.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit founded in 1990 that presents the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and related football awards, hosts community events, and has distributed more than $3,000,000 in scholarships to student-athletes and athletic programs in the greater Charlotte, North Carolina region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sports Awards and Nonprofit Events

NAICS

Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Athletics Fundraising, Sponsorships & NIL Support (EDALAIAN)

Keywords

• Sports awards programs
• College football recognition
• Nonprofit scholarship fund
• Football community events
• Athletic program sponsorships

Headquarters

HQ city

Charlotte

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships: The club generates revenue through corporate sponsorships at various tiers including Presenting Sponsors (Coca-Cola Consolidated), Legends Award Presenting Sponsor (Hertwig Family Foundation), Luncheon Speaker Series Presenting Sponsor (Pinnacle Financial Partners), and numerous event-specific sponsors. The sponsor team comprises over 80 companies.
2. Donations and Fundraising: The club accepts donations at specified levels ($50, $100, $500, $1,000) and custom amounts. All net annual proceeds benefit the Touchdown Club Scholarship Fund.
3. Event Revenue: Revenue generated from ticket sales and attendance at the Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet, Luncheon Speaker Series events, Carolina Panthers Kickoff Lunch, and Sponsor Team Golf Classic.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Charlotte Touchdown Club presents and administers the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and related college and high school football awards, organizes recurring events such as the annual Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet, a monthly Luncheon Speaker Series, the Carolina Panthers Kickoff Lunch, and a Sponsor Team Golf Classic. It also operates a Scholarship Fund that has distributed more than $3,000,000 to area student-athletes and regional high school and college athletic programs since 1990.

Product overview

The Charlotte Touchdown Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Sports-Social organization founded in 1990 that operates as a unified set of football recognition programs and community events centered on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The organization's portfolio includes the flagship Bronko Nagurski Trophy (awarded annually to college football's best defensive player since 1993), the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award (honoring past defensive All-Americans), the Defender of the Nation Award (recognizing military academy players), the annual Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet, the Legends of the Game Luncheon Speaker Series, the Carolina Panthers Kickoff Luncheon, the Sponsor Team Golf Classic, and a Prep and Youth Awards program. Through these programs and events, the Club distributes scholarships totaling over $3,000,000 to student-athletes and athletic programs in the greater Charlotte, NC region. The organization has a Sponsor Team of more than 80 companies and focuses on promoting Citizenship, Scholarship, Sportsmanship, and Leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bronko Nagurski Trophy: Award presented annually to the best defensive player in college football, created in 1993 by the Football Writers Association of America and presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club.
• Defender of the Nation Award
• Legends Award

Products and services

• Bronko Nagurski Trophy Award presented annually by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and the Football Writers Association of America to the best defensive player in college football.
• Bronko Nagurski Legends Award Award presented annually by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and Football Writers Association of America to a member of a past FWAA All-America defensive team, honoring football legends; sponsored by the Hertwig Family Foundation.
• Defender of the Nation Award Award presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club to honor a defensive football player from one of the Nation's Service Academies and Senior Military Colleges based on academic, athletic, and community achievements and leadership qualities.
• Bronko Nagurski Awards Banquet Annual black-tie gala held in Charlotte, NC where the Bronko Nagurski Trophy winner is announced, featuring keynote speakers and fundraising for the scholarship fund.
• Legends of the Game Luncheon Speaker Series Monthly luncheon series featuring guest speakers from the football world, presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners, providing networking opportunities and community engagement.
• Carolina Panthers Kickoff Luncheon Annual luncheon event featuring Carolina Panthers players and coaches to kick off the NFL season, sponsored by Pinnacle Financial Partners.
• Sponsor Team Golf Classic Annual golf tournament event for sponsor team members and supporters of the Charlotte Touchdown Club.
• Scholarship Fund Charitable program that has raised and distributed more than $3,000,000 since 1990 to area student-athletes and athletic programs in the greater Charlotte region.
• Prep and Youth Awards Collection of awards recognizing outstanding high school student athletes including Coach of the Year, Student Athlete of the Year, Comeback Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year (Luke Kuechly Award), Leadership Award, and Female Flag Football awards.
• Local College Awards Recognition program for outstanding college football players from local institutions including Davidson College, UNC Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith University, Gardner-Webb University, Wingate University, and Catawba College.
• Carolina Panthers Community Impact Player of the Year Award Award recognizing Carolina Panthers players for their community service and positive impact, presented by the Charlotte Touchdown Club and Carolina Panthers.
• Bronko Nagurski Players of the Week Weekly recognition program selecting the national defensive player of the week during college football season, with winners added to the annual Bronko Nagurski Trophy watch list.

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• Coca-Cola ConsolidatedflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Awards Banquet. Coca-Cola Consolidated is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in the United States, headquartered in Charlotte, N.C. The partnership provides major funding for the club's scholarship efforts.
• Pinnacle Financial PartnerscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of the Luncheon Speaker Series. A financial services company providing banking and advisory services.
• Hertwig Family FoundationcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of the Bronko Nagurski Legends Award. The foundation supports the club's efforts to honor past defensive football greats.
• Capital Group of CompaniescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPresenting Sponsor of the Defender of the Nation Award. Partnership celebrates the Nation's Military Academies and institutions based on Leadership Excellence.
• Pella Windows & DoorsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerBronko Nagurski Patriot Sponsor for the awards banquet.
• Carolina PantherscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NFL team partnership including the Carolina Panthers Kickoff Lunch and sponsorship of various high school awards including the Leadership Award and Female Flag Football awards.
• Football Writers Association of America (FWAA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership with the FWAA since 1993 to present the Bronko Nagurski Trophy. The FWAA consists of 1,300 journalists, broadcasters and publicists covering college football.
• Publix Super MarketsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the Pop Warner Little Panthers Defensive Scholastic Team of the Year award.
• Novant HealthmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the High School Comeback Player of the Year Award. A regional healthcare provider.
• First National BankmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the High School Coach of the Year Award.
• Bahakel SportsmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the High School Student-Athlete of the Year Award.
• Female Athlete UniversityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the High School Female Flag Football Team of the Year Award.
• National College Football Awards Association (NCFAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Bronko Nagurski Trophy is a member of the NCFAA, which includes college football's most prestigious awards and has honored more than 900 recipients dating back to 1935.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Maxwell Football Club: Non-profit organization that presents the Maxwell Award (college player of the year) and the Chuck Bednarik Award (best defensive player). Directly comparable as a college football awards presenter running banquets, sponsorships, and award programs in a similar nonprofit structure.
• Butkus Award Foundation: Presents the Butkus Award to the nation's top linebacker in college football. Most directly comparable defensive-position award program with similar nonprofit, sponsorship-funded, and banquet-driven model.
• Heisman Trophy Trust: Manages and presents the Heisman Trophy, the most prestigious individual award in college football. Comparable in that it administers an NCFAA member award, runs high-profile events, and operates on corporate sponsorship and licensing revenue.
• Walter Camp Football Foundation: Presents the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award and runs a national awards dinner in New Haven. Comparable as an NCFAA-affiliated nonprofit that hosts banquets and sells sponsorships around a prestigious player award.
• Davey O'Brien National Awards: National Awards program presenting the Davey O'Brien Award to the nation's top college quarterback, part of the NCFAA. Comparable structure: nonprofit award presenter with banquet, sponsor tiers, and scholarship component.
• Jim Thorpe Award: Presents the Jim Thorpe Award to the best defensive back in college football each year. Directly comparable position-specific college football award program with banquet, watch list, and sponsor support.
• Lott IMPACT Trophy: Presents the Lott IMPACT Trophy to the defensive player who best exemplifies the qualities of Ronnie Lott: Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Accountability, Tenacity, and Community. Directly competes for defensive-player recognition sponsorship dollars and media attention.

Emerging players

• Pop Warner Little Scholars: National youth football organization that runs scholastic awards, the Pop Warner Little Scholars program, and partners with the Charlotte Touchdown Club on the Little Panthers Defensive Scholastic Team of the Year. Comparable in youth-football recognition and scholarship fundraising.

Broad incumbents

• National Football Foundation: Larger, established nonprofit that operates the College Football Hall of Fame, presents the MacArthur Bowl and NFF Scholar-Athlete Awards, and promotes college football nationally. Broader incumbent in the same awards-and-recognition space.

Regional players

• Atlanta Touchdown Club: Similar sports-social nonprofit model in a different region, focused on promoting football in the Atlanta market through events and recognition. Comparable structure but operates in a different geography without direct competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ctouchdownclub

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Charlotte Touchdown Club