UNC-Greensboro & UNC-Willimington Football??? [RUMOR]

[WestCoastAggie]

Rumor originally posted on www.MEACFansZone.proboards.com by moderator TightEye


The fact that UNC Charlotte (CAA) football is coming online and the rumors of UNCG (SOCON) and UNCW (CAA) are planning on building football programs. How much longer can NC HBCU's continue to loose before they are over taken and become irrelevant?

Just think, NCCU is doing something about their problems and as long as Wicker-McCree stays in place the Eagles will be alright.

As for the Aggies, it seems as if their issues just keep compiling. Whether it's unrealistic standards from the administrator to a general sense of incompetency. Nevertheless, the Aggies appear to have a more difficult road to travel to return to success.

Now for the main attraction...

Word on the street is that UNC-Wilmington is starting a football team in 2015 and will be a member of the Colonial Athletic Association.

Also, it has been rumored that Russ Huesman the current head coach at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is their first and primary choice. If Coach Huesman accepts the job, he would leave after this season to build the UNC-W program from scratch beginning in 2011.

Here's the concept uniforms:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/the49erfan15/UNCWFootball1.png

This info was obtained from an inside source on the UTC campus

An outline of UNCW strategic plan (does not include football, but the UNCW alumni are taking a book from UNCC playbook to get started.)
http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20100720/ARTICLES/100729961?p=1&tc=pg

http://cheapseat.blogs.starnewsonline.com/11188/uncw-football-more-from-power-breakfast/?tc=ar

FYI, UNC-Greensboro is discussing the possibility of beginning a football program as well.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v324/the49erfan15/UNCGFootball2.png


http://meacfanszone.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=sz&action=post&thread=5397&quote=72329&page=1

First UNC-Charlotte and now UNCG AND UNCW??? xeyebrowx

Talk about a glut of NC FCS Teams.

[Mountaineer]

First UNC-Charlotte and now UNCG AND UNCW??? xeyebrowx



xlolx

Can't speak for UNCW actually starting a program, but no way does Huesman leave his alma mater for a startup program. If anything, the dude will be coaching in the FBS ranks in a few years.

UNCG is a school with a female to male student ratio of 66 to 34 percent. Very unlikely the Spartans add football. xnutsx

[WileECoyote06]

I thought UNC-G was forbidden to have football (according to the legend)?

UNC-W I could definitely see coming into the FCS world. UNC-G; I think they'd be more likely to sit out football.

[WestCoastAggie]

September 21st, 2010 08:20pm
UNCW football — More from Power Breakfast

http://cheapseat.blogs.starnewsonline.com/11188/uncw-football-more-from-power-breakfast/?tc=ar

by Dan Spears

As the program was about to start Tuesday morning for the Power Breakfast Series downtown, UNCW chancellor Rosemary DePaolo said hello to me and kidded that my job for the day was to count how many times football at the school was brought up.

My count started early.

After opening statements from UNCW athletic director Kelly Mehrtens and minor-league sports franchise owners, former ACC football coach Bill Dooley quickly and forcefully made the point.

Football is a plus for a school, he said. “I’d love to recruit here. I think it’s a great opportunity. It gives students a full college environment.”

After a solid round of applause, Mehrtens responded with a smile and a laugh to everyone in the room, “There’s a collection box at the door.”

And while she later said it was “a financial decision,” then backtracked and said, “it’s not about the money, it has to be something more than that,” — it really is about the money. Or in UNCW’s case, a significant lack thereof.

As Dooley later pointed out, the University of Richmond finally built an on-campus stadium, and wouldn’t it be nice to do that here. Of course, “You need a Mr. Robins,” Dooley said of school’s benefactors from the Wyeth pharmaceutical empire.

It’s clear that a football program is desired by many here. Even former Wilmington Hammerheads part-owner Bill Rudisill got in on the action, asking Mehrtens how much the school could increase student fees.

But for a program that is trying desperately just to cover a deficit in scholarship giving and now must find a way to come up with another $650,000 for the 2011-12 academic year and beyond … wow.

[danefan]

UNC-W has an auto entrance into the CAA until 2017. Never really considered them adding football, but who knows now with Charlotte.

[Mountaineer]

Also have to take into account that UNCW's chancellor, DePaolo, is retiring. I believe the AD has resigned. Trouble has beset the men's basketball program (couldn't happen to a nicer Buzz), and there's the practice scandal with the women's team.

Things could be in disarray for awhile.

[T-Dog]

Being that I live in Wilmington and know many people inside UNCW's athletic office, here's what I know.

UNCW's worthless, pathetic AD Kelly Mehrtens resigned last month after a women's basketball controversy. The only thing the athletic department was united in was their dislike of Mrs. Mehrtens. They just hired ECU assistant AD Jimmy Bass, who is considered a slam dunk of a hire. He has experience at NC State and ECU dealing with football programs and is a great fundraiser.

Recently, UNCW's Berkely liberal Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo announced her retirement to happiness from alums. They will announce her replacement at the end of the academic calendar.

Football at UNCW is nowhere near a reality. But alums notice what's going on at ODU, G-State and even Kennesaw State. UNCW has lots of flat land to build a stadium and parking on campus. However it all depends on who the next Chancellor is, although I'm sure Jimmy Bass will be in favor of it.

Any non-football CAA team has until 2017 to start a team and get automatic entry into the CAA. UNCW, GMU and VCU know this so if it's going to happen, the time will be in the immediate future.

But first for UNCW, they need to get their stuff together. Their booster club is scraping the bottom of the barrel and with two larger-than-usual coaching salaries to pick up now, they'll need a major monetary shot in the arm before they can do anything.

With hat being said, once they get their stuff together, UNCW football could be huge. No competition in local sports and they got the whole region to themselves.

Huesman has said publicly that UTC is the only coaching job he ever wants. He's a UTC alum and won't leave until he accomplishes his goals.

As for UNCG, I doubt they'll want to jump in the football arms race. They're fine being a liberal arts school.

[BlueHenSinfonian]

Why are the proposed UNC-W alternate home uniforms blue?

In the not too distant past UNC-W had a pretty strong basketball program, so the school can get things done when they want to. I wonder how many football programs NC can support though. There are already 8 FCS programs in the state, which ties it with NY, PA, and VA for having the most in the nation. Most of the NY and PA FCS schools are small NEC, Ivy, and Patriot programs, and aside from a once in a blue moon win streak most are not highly competitive at the playoff level.

With UNC-Charlotte NC will have 9 FCS schools, plus 5 FBS programs, that's a lot of NCAA football for a medium sized state to support. While they're at it they should give UNC-Asheville a program so App State can have a crosstown rival.

[Saint3333]

Asheville is two hours away, that's like saying Elon is a crosstown rival.

NC is the 11th most populated state in the US, but yes that is a lot of football schools.

[Gringer1]

I thought UNC-G was forbidden to have football (according to the legend)?

UNC-W I could definitely see coming into the FCS world. UNC-G; I think they'd be more likely to sit out football.

I will need an explanation of this legend.

[Sec310]

I don't follow the CAA that closely. So what is this mandate? All CAA schools need to add football by 2017, or else they will be kicked out of the CAA?

[chattanoogamocs]

Huesman has said publicly that UTC is the only coaching job he ever wants. He's a UTC alum and won't leave until he accomplishes his goals.



...and Russ' son just committed last week to play for the Mocs. I would assume (since he was being recruited by a number of FBS schools) that he wouldn't be coming to Chattanooga if he thought his dad was leaving any time soon.

[Jackman]

I don't follow the CAA that closely. So what is this mandate? All CAA schools need to add football by 2017, or else they will be kicked out of the CAA?

No, any all-sports CAA member who adds full scholarship football by 2017 gets automatic admission into the CAA Football conference. Any who try after that are subject to a 75% approval vote of the current football conference members, just as if they had no connection to the CAA. In a 12 member CAA, any 4 members can block adding even a full CAA member after 2017.

[superman7515]

I may be wrong, but I believe they just have to announce their intention by that date in 2017. I think if they announced in 2017 they'd add football in 2018 they'd still get in without the vote.

[VBR_Productions]

Wilmington's donor base dropped significantly because of the drop in men's basketball. Now that their former AD resigned, I expect things to turn around. If the support comes back and they open their check books, maybe there will be enough of a push for football. I am not familiar with Wilmington so I don't know whether the school has the land for a stadium on campus.

Wilmington has been a huge part of the CAA for decades now. I would hate to see them left behind because they don't have football.

[WileECoyote06]

I will need an explanation of this legend.

Legend has it that a wealthy female benefactor has decreed that to keep receiving funding from her estate, the college cannot establish a football program.

I have no idea if it is true, but it seems to be common knowledge in this state; so there may be some truth to it.

[49RFootballNow]

UNC Greensboro would have a hard time getting football done with the Title IX issues and the fact the city already has a FCS team. They could share a stadium? Perhaps if the NCAA ever approves Cheerleading as a sport they could reexamine the issue.

UNC Wilmington could do it but I also think they're near 60% female. I think the stadium would be their issue. Perhaps they are looking at this as a way to solve their athletics foundation funding issues. Not 100% on this but I think that non-football CAA schools have until 2017 to ask to join for football as well. I don't think they have to have a program on the field in 2017. CAA is two seperate conferences ran by the same office, so no one is getting kicked out of the "regular" CAA for not having football.


I will need an explanation of this legend.

Not sure about UNC Greensboro's legend but it's probably a lot like the ones we had:

Wealthy donor's son/nephew/grandson died playing football.
Bonnie Cone (UNC Charlotte's founder) son/nephew/grandson died playing football.

[MasonJar]

Legend has it that a wealthy female benefactor has decreed that to keep receiving funding from her estate, the college cannot establish a football program.

I have no idea if it is true, but it seems to be common knowledge in this state; so there may be some truth to it.

Used to hear the same thing about UNCC... and we see what is happening there...

[WileECoyote06]

Used to hear the same thing about UNCC... and we see what is happening there...

AFter a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth. I wonder what the Charlotte AD has on the UNC BOG president? Naked pics?

[49RFootballNow]

AFter a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth. I wonder what the Charlotte AD has on the UNC BOG president? Naked pics?

We have 25,000 students (and 30,000 at the end of the stadium debt fee) to spread the fees thinner. It also helped we had the highest voter turnout of any SGA in the entire history of the UNC system, on the topic of fees for football, with 83% approval. We also had $6 million already in the bank.

[GA St. MBB Fan]

The UNCW fans seems skeptical:
http://boards.caazone.com/showthread.php?p=1363671#post1363671

[appsfan]

Legend has it that a wealthy female benefactor has decreed that to keep receiving funding from her estate, the college cannot establish a football program.

I have no idea if it is true, but it seems to be common knowledge in this state; so there may be some truth to it.

I am a UNCG alumnus, I have never heard this legend. I will say that IMO, football will not happen in my lifetime (I am 50) at the G. I was a Spartan Club supporter for several years before becoming a Yosef Club member (my wife and daughter went to ASU). The difference between the two fund raising groups are like night and day. Suffice it to say that UNCG is operating DI athletic programs under a DIII model. Until that changes and UNCG distances itself from the Women's College days (unlikely with current administration) there is no way UNCG has the money for football and the additional Title IX scholarships required...

[ngineer]

My daughter got her masters degree from UNCG. Nice stadium that they use for soccer. With NC A&T in the same city, you could have a nice local rivalry. I agree, though, that the imbalance of male/female ratio could be problematic.