THANK YOU to all the Aggies who came together in Los Angeles Feb. 11 – 15 and virtually for the NBA HBCU Classic and NBA All-Star 2026!

More than 2,000 Aggies and North Carolina A&T supporters came to Los Angeles to enjoy a series of great events, from a Friday morning meet-and-greet with Magic Johnson and the Ladies of A&T to a historic Saturday night fundraising dinner for the All Aggies, All In capital campaign. And, of course, the highlight of the week: The A&T men’s basketball team beating Hampton University 71-70 at the Kia Forum (formerly home of the LA Lakers) in a thriller that came down to the final seconds, exciting Aggies across the country.

The winning goal and free throw by Trent Middleton Jr. were immediately featured nationally on ESPN SportsCenter as one of the day's best game finishes.

Check out photos from the weekend (this story continues below the gallery): 

Back in Aggieland and across the country, tens of thousands of Aggies and other sports fans watched the sold-out contest live on NBC’s Peacock streaming service. The game set an HBCU Classic high watermark for attendance and viewership.

And those weren’t the only events. Aggies turned out in big numbers for a welcome party downtown hosted by Foot Locker Thursday night at LA Live, as well as for a Friday afternoon pre-game mixer at the Hyatt Regency LAX.

Saturday morning saw many Aggies enjoy an Aggie Pride Brunch at Alta Adams restaurant. That evening, everyone donned their finest outfits and best sneakers for Aggie Love: From the Heart to the Sole, a “sneaker ball” that raised an astounding $320K for All Aggies All In, making it the most successful fundraising event for Athletics in A&T history.

Many Aggies, including members of the men’s basketball team, stayed until Sunday and the celebrity-heavy NBA All Star Game featuring professional basketball’s best players. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama had courtside seats, and stars like Brandi, Queen Latifah, Sarah McLaughlin, Ludacris, Keegan-Michael Key, Amon-Ra St. Brown and many more were spectators or included in parts of the game, which was broadcast nationally on NBC.

Thanks to everyone across Aggie Nation who watched, attended, contributed and cheered for North Carolina A&T. Your contributions were appreciated, and helped A&T show up with strength in the national spotlight. #AggiePride