INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — After a one-year hiatus, the Circle City Classic football game capped off a week of festivities Saturday.

Events included the annual parade, a coronation, and career fair.

The classic brings in fans and alumni, not just from the schools playing in the game, but from all over the country.

“We’re just family, we were all in school we’re representing a plethora, the 70’s the 80’s the 90’s, the 2000’s all across we came to converge on this city,” said Reese Walker, an Mississippi Valley State fan who traveled to Indianapolis Sunday.

North Carolina Central defeated Mississippi Valley State 45-3 Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium. The match between two HBCU teams has been played in Indianapolis every year since 1984, with the exception of 2020 and 2022.

“We had our tailgate not to far from each other and they said you guys are going to lose, and I said we’ll see, so yeah, we came out on top,” said NC Central fan Jetta Vaughn.

Vaughn is also president of NC Central’s central Indiana alumni chapter. She says the Circle City Classic is more than just a game.

“We raise money for scholarships for individuals to go to schools, and it’s for individuals around Indiana. The IBE (Indiana Black Expo) does an amazing job of making sure students who want a different option, who want to go to school outside of Indiana, have that opportunity.”

According to its website, the Circle City Classic has raised $5 million in college scholarships since its inception.