One of the highlights of the Triangle Pigskin Preview is the auctioning off of the four universities' helmets.

Last Thursday for the first time in a long while, if ever, N.C. Central's helmet wasn't the lowest bid. It came in third at $500 behind Duke ($1,000) and UNC ($600). Those cheap N.C. State folks were last at $350.

The Eagles are nowhere near the caliber of major Division I programs yet, but maybe, just maybe, the helmet signals that better times are ahead.

Coach Mose Rison sounded cautiously optimistic as his team tries to rebound from a 4-7 season.

"We have tremendous speed on both sides of the ball," he said. "And, unlike two years ago, we return a veteran of core players."

NCCU won all of its games either at home or on a neutral site. But it must be emphasized that one of those wins was against hated rival N.C. A&T. That lone made the season a success.

The Eagles return nine starters on defense and although senior quarterback Stadford Brown's injury in the fifth game of the season left Rison with just two freshmen QBs -- Keon Williams and Michael Johnson -- the good news is they are now sophomores.

But NCCU will have to break its eight-game road-losing streak going back to 2007 to come away with its first winning season in two years.

As an independent, the team has just four home games on its 11-game schedule. However, unlike last year's murderous run where the squad traveled to five different states -- California, Connecticut, Maryland, South Carolina and Virginia -- every game is within 200 miles of Durham.

Three of those 11 are whoppers: A&T in Greensboro because, well, you know; three-time Football Championship Subdivision national champion Appalachian State, in Boone, for homecoming (maybe they should have scheduled Michigan instead); and of course Duke, which is becoming more than just a game.

"The chamber plans to make this a community event with a pep band and other events," Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce President Casey Steinbecker said.

It's now called the Bull City Gridiron Classic. Smart move. Classics for HBCU teams mean one thing: CHA-CHING! It's not just a game, it's an experience.

Usually the host team turns the football game into a weekend of festivities: step show, battle of the bands, vendors, concerts, tailgating, you name it. More money is made before game day than during.

No offense to Duke, the host team, or the Durham chamber, but I suggest they check out some old videos of previous classics like the Aggie-Eagle between NCCU and A&T to see how the pros do it. Hey, just because Duke is a large, private, predominantly white institution doesn't mean it's not about the Benjamins.

Then, when the official blows the whistle to start the game, man's second-favorite subject will be on the line.

"The players understand how important this game is to the city," Duke coach David Cutcliffe said. "Some of them are probably dating the same girls, so that's another incentive right there."