Charlotte 49er Football

[The Cats]

UNCC student leaders debate football start up.

http://www.charlotte49erfootball.com/

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/15963027.htm

[SuperJon]

This comes up about 17 times each year.

[MplsBison]

Why not?

Build a practice facility on campus. Play games in BOA stadium. Eventually build an on campus stadium.

[DFW HOYA]

Go Niners. Always good to see another school take up the cause.

[gophoenix]

It is absurd that one of the biggest schools in NC can't "afford" football, but Guilford, Campbell, Wingate, Western, WSSU, NC Central, Mars Hill and others can (all of whom are either much small public schools or private schools)

NC already has 9 I-AA program and 5 I-A programs, can it handle another?

[MplsBison]

I don't see why not.

At the least, Charlotte being the commercial center of North Carolina and UCC a large public school, they would squeeze out one of the existing programs rather than not being able to succeed themselves.

[AndrewFU21]

It is absurd that one of the biggest schools in NC can't "afford" football, but Guilford, Campbell, Wingate, Western, WSSU, NC Central, Mars Hill and others can (all of whom are either much small public schools or private schools)

NC already has 9 I-AA program and 5 I-A programs, can it handle another?

Hell, if UNC-Pembroke can start up football, why not UNC-C?

[The Cats]

It is absurd that one of the biggest schools in NC can't "afford" football, but Guilford, Campbell, Wingate, Western, WSSU, NC Central, Mars Hill and others can (all of whom are either much small public schools or private schools)

NC already has 9 I-AA program and 5 I-A programs, can it handle another?

Some of the others you did not name with football: ASU, Catawba College, Davidson, Fayetteville State, Gardner-Webb University, Guilford College, Johnson C. Smith University, Lenoir-Rhyne College, NC A&T, Shaw Univeristy and of course Elon.

[KiddBrewer]

It is absurd that one of the biggest schools in NC can't "afford" football, but Guilford, Campbell, Wingate, Western, WSSU, NC Central, Mars Hill and others can (all of whom are either much small public schools or private schools)

NC already has 9 I-AA program and 5 I-A programs, can it handle another?

9 I-AA football schools? refresh my memory on some....App, Western, Davidson, Elon, Gardner-Webb.....

[rokamortis]

9 I-AA football schools? refresh my memory on some....App, Western, Davidson, Elon, Gardner-Webb.....

A&T, WSSU, and Campbell will start one soon - not sure of the 9th.

[blur2005]

With its large number of alumni, Charlotte could get a football program off the ground and running.

[Appstate29]

I don't think they will get one, we hear this about 20 times a year in Charlotte, its a basketball school if anything, and its also a suitcase school.

[SuperJon]

UNCC's football team is the Panthers.

[MplsBison]

I don't think they will get one, we hear this about 20 times a year in Charlotte, its a basketball school if anything, and its also a suitcase school.

IE, you don't want them to get one because they'll take away top recruits from you who don't want to go to school out in the mountains.

[boonedocks]

IE, you don't want them to get one because they'll take away top recruits from you who don't want to go to school out in the mountains.


No really, people in charlotte are always talking about football. We hear it every year. Plus ASU is an established so that wouldn't be a problem(At first anyway). But it is true that a big problem for them is that it is a commuter school. Not much on campus presence.:twocents:

[Green Cookie Monster]

It is not an affordability issue. The land the campus sits on was donated by a family whose son was killed in a football game. So when the land was ceded to the school/state a stipulation was included to prevent football from ever being formed at UNCC.

[lizrdgizrd]

It is not an affordability issue. The land the campus sits on was donated by a family whose son was killed in a football game. So when the land was ceded to the school/state a stipulation was included to prevent football from ever being formed at UNCC.
I'd like to read that for myself. Got a link to that history?

[boonedocks]

I'm pretty sure that's a myth. I've heard a similar story aobut 5 different ways.

[AndrewFU21]

It is not an affordability issue. The land the campus sits on was donated by a family whose son was killed in a football game. So when the land was ceded to the school/state a stipulation was included to prevent football from ever being formed at UNCC.

Not saying that you are wrong, but I have also heard that story told in several different ways, and about others schools like UNC-W as well.

[Green Cookie Monster]

No link, a co-worker is a UNCC grad and told me that story. Maybe it is a myth.

[youwouldno]

It has to be a myth. Probably wouldn't hold up in court anyway.

[gophoenix]

9 I-AA schools in NC
App, Campbell, Davidson, Elon, Gardner-Webb, NC A&T, NC Central, Western Carolina, Winston-Salem State

And yes.... all those other schools offer football. And didn't use to list to mean to slight anyone except UNCC. How can UNC-Pembroke start it but UNCC can't or won't? Or heck; look at Shaw, Livingstone, Elizabeth City State, Barton, and tons of the other little schools in small areas.....


The land the campus sits on was donated by a family whose son was killed in a football game. So when the land was ceded to the school/state a stipulation was included to prevent football from ever being formed at UNCC.

May or may not be true. But I've heard the same story out of UNCG, UNCW and UNCA.

[IaaScribe]

As gophoenix pointed out, NC Central is transitioning to I-AA and the MEAC.

[adrianb]

Link (http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-102006-uncc_football_kk.59c4c0ce.html)
From WCNC.com


A decades-old rumor among students surrounds Bonnie Cone, a philanthropist who has donated millions of dollars to the University.

“The rumor is that she had a grandchild who was paralyzed playing football and she said she’ll never allow football as long as she’s alive,” Duncan said. “It’s a rumor that I would love to see die.”

UNCC Athletics Director Judy Rose said the rumor is not true. Rose said the real reason the campus has passed on football is the price tag. Rose estimates the sport would cost about $8 million a year to operate - equal to the cost of all the other campus sports combined.

[lizrdgizrd]

Link (http://www.wcnc.com/news/topstories/stories/wcnc-102006-uncc_football_kk.59c4c0ce.html)
From WCNC.com
Thank you! Nice to have some supporting evidence there.

[The Cats]

I don't think they will get one, we hear this about 20 times a year in Charlotte, its a basketball school if anything, and its also a suitcase school.

"UNC Charlotte is the fourth largest of the 16 institutions within the University of North Carolina system and the largest institution in the Charlotte region. The university comprises seven professional colleges and currently offers 17 doctoral programs, 59 master’s degree programs and 85 leading to bachelor’s degrees. More than 900 full-time faculty comprise the university’s academic departments and the 2006 fall enrollment exceeded 21,500 students. UNC Charlotte boasts more than 75,000 living alumni and adds 4,000 to 4,500 new alumni each year."

Charlotte has built new dorms on campus and what was a "commuter" school in the past, now has a helfty on campus student body.

[DFW HOYA]

That's the oldest legend in the book since the drowned lady that appears only at Halloween. (BTW, George Washington uses the same donor story.)

[Appstate29]

Charlotte has built new dorms on campus and what was a "commuter" school in the past, now has a helfty on campus student body.


A hefty on campus student body that goes home every weekend, trust me I have lived in South Charlotte my whole life, and about 50 of my graduating class went to UNCC.

[gophoenix]

A hefty on campus student body that goes home every weekend

UNCC was my #3 pick for a college (App and Elon being the other two). I went to a high school with a great marching band and good football, that was a reason for not going there. As well as the go home every weekend crowd..... yeah, I'd rather go to a complete college.

[SuperJon]

They go home or to another college. I know people that are students at UNCC that spend more time at UNCG, UNC, and ASU on the weekends than Charlotte.

[Dane96]

It has to be a myth. Probably wouldn't hold up in court anyway.


Sure would, depending on how it was written.

[The Cats]

A hefty on campus student body that goes home every weekend, trust me I have lived in South Charlotte my whole life, and about 50 of my graduating class went to UNCC.

Well, with football, they'd have more of a reason to stay over on a Saturday.