Belk Bowl to experience Underwood Effect

From American Idol winner a decade ago to one of the biggest names in entertainment, Carrie Underwood will add extra star power to the 14th annual Belk Bowl football game slated for December 30.

The seven-time Grammy award winner will serve as the headline act for pre-game festivities at the Belk Bowl in which Southeastern Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference champions square off. The game will be play on Saturday, Dec. 30 at the Bank of America Stadium in Belk’s hometown of Charlotte, N.C. A free fan fest preceded the Dec. 30th matchup and begins at 10 a.m. Underwood is scheduled to perform at 1:30 p.m. followed by kick off at 3:30 p.m.

"Carrie Underwood is a tremendous addition to this year's Belk Bowl," said Jon Pollack, Belk's executive vice president of sales promotion, marketing and e-commerce. "We look forward to a dynamic and high energy performance that will be the perfect launch to our game day."

Underwood and her style of country music align well with the Belk brand. The retailer won’t have to worry about objectionable lyrics or contrived wardrobe malfunctions from an entertainer whose family friendly personal brand resonates with many of those who are football fans and shop at the retailers 297 stores in 16 southern states.

Underwood has sold more than 56 million records, recorded 21 #1 singles, is the first female artist to be twice named the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year and showed some serious acting skills in 2013 when she starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC's three-hour holiday special The Sound of Music Live!. In addition, every Sunday night she appears in the homes of millions of Americans singing and introductory ditty to the NFL’s Sunday Night Football which tends to feature that week’s marquee matchup.