49er Students Head to Football Vote

[Keenan]

I don't think the sheer number of teams in NC won't be a problem for Charlotte.

However, being in a market dominated by pro sports, NASCAR, the ACC, the SEC, etc will be a problem.

I wouldn't mind UNCC and App becoming rivals in football as we both know how to bring the hate. However, to see if they get to a level to be competitive won't be easy so UNCC supporters will have to be patient.

That really shouldn't be looked as a negative. You would think that would all work against UNCC, but look at the success South Florida has had in such a short period of time after launching a football program. I don't think UNCC has the same kind of aspirations USF did when they started up, but I also don't think they'll lack support just because of the market they're in.

[Libertine]

This has been said before and bears repeating: USF's meteoric rise to BCS status is a complete fluke. They benefited from a number of outside factors that they could never have planned for. Their path cannot be used as a realistic model for any start-up program. Florida Atlantic is a far more realistic example.

[dbackjon]

This has been said before and bears repeating: USF's meteoric rise to BCS status is a complete fluke. They benefited from a number of outside factors that they could never have planned for. Their path cannot be used as a realistic model for any start-up program. Florida Atlantic is a far more realistic example.

Agreed - right place (FLORIDA) at the right time (BIG EAST just got raided by ACC, lost Miami, needed viable program in Florida to keep the exposure up).

[49RFootballNow]

South Florida indeed benefited from making the right decisions at the right place and in the right time.

As for saturation in North Carolina, its nothing that wasn't already known before we began this process and I do think it's not a major issue for us as most athletes in our state schools are not in state students.

[elcid83]

Congrats!

I'm just wondering is there any chance that the state of NC could be reaching Div I football saturation? How many more teams can the state of NC support? You already have:
1. UNC
2. NC State
3. ECU
4. Wake
5. Duke
6. App State
7. Elon
8. Western Carolina
9. NC A&T
10. Gardner-Webb (outside of Charlotte)
11. NC Central
12. Davidson (granted, non scholly Pioneer, so Div I in name ony)
13. Cambell (granted, non scholly Pioneer, so Div I in name ony)

The only state I can come up with that has more is TX with 15 (10 I-A and 5 I-AA), and they're nearlry 5x as big, with close to 3x the population, and are a lot more football crazy.

Well, if you can make it work, good luck with it.

*Edit: removed Winston Salem, added Cambell

South Carolina has:

1. USC
2. Clemson
3. Furman
4. Citadel
5. Wofford
6. SC State
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Charleston Southern

SC has 1/2 the population of NC so this is about right.

Go Runnin' Bulldogs!

[Libertine]

South Carolina has:

1. USC
2. Clemson
3. Furman
4. Citadel
5. Wofford
6. SC State
7. Coastal Carolina
8. Charleston Southern

SC has 1/2 the population of NC so this is about right.

You forgot Presby.

Don't worry, though. Everyone does.

[jb4g]

congrats to UNCC!

[49RFootballNow]

congrats to UNCC!

Congrats to UTSA!

[T-Dog]

USF benefited from have 35,000 on-campus students already and thus a huge alumni base already in place in Tampa. Also, the stars aligning with CUSA needing members and then the Big East wanting members.

UNCC doesn't have near the number of students and alumni. It's also very unlikely for the stars to align like that.

[49RFootballNow]

USF benefited from have 35,000 on-campus students already and thus a huge alumni base already in place in Tampa. Also, the stars aligning with CUSA needing members and then the Big East wanting members.

UNCC doesn't have near the number of students and alumni. It's also very unlikely for the stars to align like that.

If you mean by "on-campus" that those students live on campus then your number is incorrect. If you mean students that go to school there then there was indeed 35,000 at the time. Charlotte is projected to reach that figure in 10 years and 40,000 by 2025, so I'd say we're making good timing on our football decision from a student/alumni perspective. We have 70,000 living alumni, of which 50,000 live within 50 miles of campus.

I don't think the Big East is a realistic possibility for us at this point; but had we had FBS football in place in 2003, both us and ECU would have been looked at much closer by the Big East then we were. Our goal is to be in a position to take advantage of our location in a major southern metro region by the end of this decade. Clearly the Big 10 stirrings at this time are disadvantageous to us and other schools that had hoped to have more recovery time after the ACC expansion fiasco.

But our overriding goal is to not be in a position like we were in 2003. Had we had FBS football we'd still at the least be CUSA members. We don't ever want to be forced out of a conference for lack of total commitment to our athletics again.

[EPJr]

UNC Charlotte's first on-campus football stadium is now just a governor's signature away from becoming a reality.

The N.C. General Assembly passed a bill last week that allows the school to borrow $40 million for the construction of a new 15,000-seat football stadium, field house and practice fields to house the Charlotte 49ers' new football program, scheduled to start play in fall 2013.

Gov. Beverly Perdue is expected to sign the bill as early as next week. The school plans to mark the event with a celebration among supporters sometime after Perdue gives final approval.

Read more: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/0 ... z0uGsM6j7d" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ODUalum11]

I'm sorry, but what conference are you guys thinking of joining? The CAA? Aren't you guys A10 in everything else?

Anyway, I wouldnt be surprised in the very least if ODU schedules you guys or vice versa in your guys first season. Relatively short distance from each other and we have scheduled each other frequently in basketball over the last few years....

[49RFootballNow]

I'm sorry, but what conference are you guys thinking of joining? The CAA? Aren't you guys A10 in everything else?

Anyway, I wouldnt be surprised in the very least if ODU schedules you guys or vice versa in your guys first season. Relatively short distance from each other and we have scheduled each other frequently in basketball over the last few years....

Our AD plans to ask the CAA for affiliate (football-only) CAA membership. If that doesn't happen then we'll probably go Independent.

[49RFootballNow]

It IS official! YES!!!!





http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/0 ... ially.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://gmine.blogspot.com/2010/08/49ers ... ly-go.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[S F State Gaters]

Damn when you said '49er' i thought you were referring to Long Beach State... I was pretty excited only turned out to be my mistake...

to BDKJMU's point about the number of D-I football schools in North Carolina, think about how few there are in California!

Fresno State
San Jose State
San Diego State
USC
UCLA
UCB
Stanford
Cal Davis
Cal Poly
Sac State
San Diego

That's it. that's only 11 teams in a state with 38 million people. Are you kidding me?! There's plenty of room for more football there if you ask me.

[BDKJMU]

Congrats!

I'm just wondering is there any chance that the state of NC could be reaching Div I football saturation? How many more teams can the state of NC support? You already have:
1. UNC
2. NC State
3. ECU
4. Wake
5. Duke
6. App State
7. Elon
8. Western Carolina
9. NC A&T
10. Gardner-Webb (outside of Charlotte)
11. NC Central
12. Davidson (granted, non scholly Pioneer, so Div I in name ony)
13. Cambell (granted, non scholly Pioneer, so Div I in name ony)

The only state I can come up with that has more is TX with 15 (10 I-A and 5 I-AA), and they're nearly 5x as big, with close to 3x the population, and are a lot more football crazy.

Well, if you can make it work, good luck with it.

*Edit: removed Winston Salem, added Cambell

Make that 17 for TX, as I forgot about Lamar and UTSA.

[49RFootballNow]

Interesting rumor about former NC State coach Chuck Amato being seen in the Charlotte 49ers athletic department today. Perhaps coming on board as a consultant..........

[49RFootballNow]

We have our first series scheduled, at Morehead State in 2013 and a return to Charlotte in 2014. Both years will be final week spots so its good to lock those difficult to find late season games down.

http://gmine.blogspot.com/2010/08/49ers ... te-in.html

http://blogs.charlotte.com/tom_talks/20 ... -am-i.html