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The Charlotte 49ers have hired a football coach. Ground has been broken (ceremonially, at least) on the construction of an on-campus stadium.

But another issue continues to confound 49ers athletics director Judy Rose and chancellor Phil Dubois: Is there not a conference out there that will accept Charlotte's football team?

That's become an increasingly sticky question for Charlotte, which learned earlier this week that neither the Southern Conference nor the Big South would extend a football-only invitation for the 49ers when the school starts its football program in 2013.

Judy Rose says two options remain for a program that begins in the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division I-AA) before eventually moving up to Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly I-AA) status:

Join the powerful Colonial Athletic Association on a temporary, football-only basis, if the league will have the 49ers.

Play as an independent.

It's a multilayered dilemma. Charlotte's much-publicized intent to jump to FBS after an unspecified time in FCS apparently scared off the Southern Conference, an FCS league with several Carolinas schools - but one that is uninterested in bringing in a temporary member.

Rose and Dubois have tried to scale back the FBS talk, saying Charlotte needs to be firmly established in FCS for several years before making the leap.

.....

∞∞∞ wrote:When Charlotte officials visited Old Dominion, Bruce Stewart who's ODU's associate AD for football said, "If you don't do it right, football will expose every weakness you have in your athletics department and your university."

Judy Rose .

Purple Reign wrote:I say if UNCC would come into the CAA as a full member , then great. Football only, no thanks !!!!

∞∞∞ wrote:When Charlotte officials visited Old Dominion, Bruce Stewart who's ODU's associate AD for football said, "If you don't do it right, football will expose every weakness you have in your athletics department and your university."

I think this quote is unfortunately coming to fruition for Charlotte. Judy Rose and Phil Dubois obviously have a lot of strengths running an athletics department and university, but football has now revealed their weaknesses.

phoenixphanatic21 wrote:

Purple Reign wrote:I say if UNCC would come into the CAA as a full member , then great. Football only, no thanks !!!!

I feel that's what everyone is saying. Well, everyone but most UNCC fans.

∞∞∞ wrote:When Charlotte officials visited Old Dominion, Bruce Stewart who's ODU's associate AD for football said, "If you don't do it right, football will expose every weakness you have in your athletics department and your university."

I think this quote is unfortunately coming to fruition for Charlotte. Judy Rose and Phil Dubois obviously have a lot of strengths running an athletics department and university, but football has now revealed their weaknesses.

Agreed. Like the article said, UNCC got in trouble when they announced their plans to move to the FBS quickly. From day one, they seemed to treat the FCS as a stepping stone and not much more and that has hurt them a lot.

ODUalum11 wrote:

phoenixphanatic21 wrote:
I feel that's what everyone is saying. Well, everyone but most UNCC fans.



Agreed. Like the article said, UNCC got in trouble when they announced their plans to move to the FBS quickly. From day one, they seemed to treat the FCS as a stepping stone and not much more and that has hurt them a lot.

you could tell right from the very start Charlotte was gonna have some serious problems when they kept pushing back the start of football. Maybe the economy was part of it but look at schools like ODU, Georgia State, and UT-San Antonio who have just recently started football.

What were the specific reason that the SoCon and Big South declined their membership? Didn't the CAA already reject them?

phoenixphanatic21 wrote:

ODUalum11 wrote: I thought I heard the CAA already had. Maybe they've changed their minds?

rufus wrote:If the CAA adds Charlotte for all sports, things get interesting. I don't see the conference staying at 13 teams for long.

∞∞∞ wrote:Why? The core football members (GSU, ODU, JMU, UD, Towson, W&M) aren't going anywhere anytime soon, and the basketball schools have no reason to leave. Unless you're talking about the CAA expanding to 14 after adding Charlotte (Stony Brook, Coastal, Fordham?).

phoenixphanatic21 wrote: My guess is the SoCon said no because we don't want or need an associate member for just football, particularly one that sees us as nothing more than a stepping stone and will leave within the next decade.

ODUalum11 wrote:Stupid question but can you please explain why App. State doesn't have a clear path to FBS? Not saying you're right or wrong just curious why you say that.

rufus wrote:

ODUalum11 wrote:Stupid question but can you please explain why App. State doesn't have a clear path to FBS? Not saying you're right or wrong just curious why you say that.

As far as anyone knows, there's no CUSA invite on the table for App State. Their only other option right now is the Sun Belt, and it appears that App State isn't interested. Considering those circumstances, I would say that App State currently lacks a clear path to FBS. It has nothing to do with App State as an institution; there just aren't any suitable slots open in FBS at the moment.

Sirloinburger wrote:If Charlotte moves all their sports to the CAA, look for one of our members to sneak in and take their place in the A10. I wouldn't be surprised if ODU lobbied them for the vacancy. Wouldn't that piss off Charlotte?

ODUalum11 wrote:

phoenixphanatic21 wrote:
I feel that's what everyone is saying. Well, everyone but most UNCC fans.



Agreed. Like the article said, UNCC got in trouble when they announced their plans to move to the FBS quickly. From day one, they seemed to treat the FCS as a stepping stone and not much more and that has hurt them a lot.

you could tell right from the very start Charlotte was gonna have some serious problems when they kept pushing back the start of football. Maybe the economy was part of it but look at schools like ODU, Georgia State, and UT-San Antonio who have just recently started football.

What were the specific reason that the SoCon and Big South declined their membership? Didn't the CAA already reject them?

49RFootballNow wrote:

ODUalum11 wrote:
you could tell right from the very start Charlotte was gonna have some serious problems when they kept pushing back the start of football. Maybe the economy was part of it but look at schools like ODU, Georgia State, and UT-San Antonio who have just recently started football.

What were the specific reason that the SoCon and Big South declined their membership? Didn't the CAA already reject them?

FYI, we have NEVER pushed back the start date for football. From the moment the Chancellor recommended starting the program to today, we have been planning to start in 2013.

ODUalum11 wrote:

49RFootballNow wrote:
FYI, we have NEVER pushed back the start date for football. From the moment the Chancellor recommended starting the program to today, we have been planning to start in 2013.

I stand corrected, I could have sworn Charlotte pushed the start of football back slightly or there were at least reports of it possibly happening.

LeadBolt wrote:Perhaps the SoCon would trade ASU and Ga. Sou to the CAA for cash and URich and W&M...

49RFootballNow wrote:

ODUalum11 wrote:
I stand corrected, I could have sworn Charlotte pushed the start of football back slightly or there were at least reports of it possibly happening.

There were reports from the Chapel Hole Disturber (aptly named) that it could be possible, but that ended once the Legislature approved our stadium financing plan in August. Before the Chancellor made his recommendation to the Board of Trustees in late 08 there had been talk of starting in 2012. That ended when the Chancellor decided to make a recommendation after July 1st, 2008.