CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Trustees for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte have announced plans to move forward with a football team, starting in the 2013 season.

The board of trustees agreed unanimously Friday morning on a new plan that would provide $40.5 million in funding to build a permanent 30,000-seat stadium and field house, and to seek state approval for a student fee increase to fund the project.

Chancellor Philip Dubois said the time would never be better.

The move would require an increase of student fees of up to $320, to be phased in over several years. UNC Charlotte's chancellor says the student fee could go down if private donations toward the football program increase.


Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

This ought to frost ECU's cookies

No to UNCC

(12-12-2009 10:26 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  This ought to frost ECU's cookies

No to UNCC

Well you don't get to vote on this, and that's unc CHARLOTTE

You should remember us from this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DxwQhzvJAA

I with Mark on this. No to UNCC...

(12-12-2009 10:26 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  This ought to frost ECU's cookies

No to UNCC

Should make for a good rivalry game with ASU although I think the Mountaineers will own Charlotte for quite some time.

I think it's awesome that Charlotte will field a football team and have an oncampus stadium!!!! Good job 49ers!

Congrats Charlotte! Good for ya!

Its a good move but kind of late. Charlotte should have made that move when USF started it. I remember our AD at the time saying that if we did not start football back then we could be pushed back from CUSA to Sun Belt or lower and basically close our chances of moving up in college athletics. He also said that there would be a separation from those playing 1A football and those without it, which has basically happened in ALL leagues except Big East. USF fans owe him a HUGE thanks for seeing the writings on the wall, or USF would now be in Atlantic Sun or Sun Belt at best. Charlotte missed the boat.

(12-13-2009 09:52 AM)ShoreBuc Wrote:  

(12-12-2009 10:26 PM)TexanMark Wrote:  This ought to frost ECU's cookies

No to UNCC

Should make for a good rivalry game with ASU although I think the Mountaineers will own Charlotte for quite some time.

I would be more worried if I was a UNC Pembroke fan or Elon or gardner webb. They /might/ be something in 20 years. But ECU will have 20 years on them as well. USF was literally a one in a million deal. No way that will ever happen again.

Don't you guys see it? This is the UNC system's way to make ECU football irrelevant. Not really, but I'm surprised that hasn't been said.

A 30k seat stadium, on campus. That doesn't scream FCS. With Georgia State looking to move up to FBS too, and a few other schools capable of doing so, I think we'll see that new conference develop and I think Charlotte was the final piece. I don't think Charlotte wants to return to the Sun Belt either.

The question is............can Charlotte sell 30,000 tickets? How long will it take them to fill their stadium up?
It was reported a few months ago that Villanova is losing 4.5 million dollars a year on football. And......they are located in a huge city.
It will be interesting to see how many people in the Charlotte metro area really care about 49er football.

(12-13-2009 12:36 PM)ECMAN79 Wrote:  can Charlotte sell 30,000 tickets? How long will it take them to fill their stadium up? ... It will be interesting to see how many people in the Charlotte metro area really care about 49er football.

+1. I don't think anyone really knows the answer.

Quote:It was reported a few months ago that Villanova is losing 4.5 million dollars a year on football.

I missed that. Where did you hear about it?

(12-13-2009 12:41 PM)Native Georgian Wrote:  

(12-13-2009 12:36 PM)ECMAN79 Wrote:  can Charlotte sell 30,000 tickets? How long will it take them to fill their stadium up? ... It will be interesting to see how many people in the Charlotte metro area really care about 49er football.

+1. I don't think anyone really knows the answer.

Quote:It was reported a few months ago that Villanova is losing 4.5 million dollars a year on football.

I missed that. Where did you hear about it?

It was posted on the Big East expansion board. In one of those threads over there.

(12-13-2009 12:23 PM)esayem Wrote:  Don't you guys see it? This is the UNC system's way to make ECU football irrelevant. Not really, but I'm surprised that hasn't been said.

A 30k seat stadium, on campus. That doesn't scream FCS. With Georgia State looking to move up to FBS too, and a few other schools capable of doing so, I think we'll see that new conference develop and I think Charlotte was the final piece. I don't think Charlotte wants to return to the Sun Belt either.

Exactly:

New Atlantic Coast FBS

Delaware
Old Dominion
James Madison
Liberty
Appalachian St
Charlotte
Georgia St
Ga Southern

Possibly: Coastal Carolina, Jacksonville St, Kennesaw St, Temple, UMass, Stony Brook, Youngstown St, even FIU and FAU from the Sunbelt

(12-13-2009 01:07 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(12-13-2009 12:23 PM)esayem Wrote:  Don't you guys see it? This is the UNC system's way to make ECU football irrelevant. Not really, but I'm surprised that hasn't been said.

A 30k seat stadium, on campus. That doesn't scream FCS. With Georgia State looking to move up to FBS too, and a few other schools capable of doing so, I think we'll see that new conference develop and I think Charlotte was the final piece. I don't think Charlotte wants to return to the Sun Belt either.

Exactly:

New Atlantic Coast FBS

Delaware
Old Dominion
James Madison
Liberty
Appalachian St
Charlotte
Georgia St
Ga Southern

Possibly: Coastal Carolina, Jacksonville St, Kennesaw St, Temple, UMass, Stony Brook, Youngstown St, even FIU and FAU from the Sunbelt

Too many FCS. Many won't make it, some will jump and lock their spots into conferences before all get up. But Temple, Buffalo, FIU, FAU, Charlotte and Georgia State are the makings of a league.

My prediction is that FBS will shrink to remove the likes of this league. You'll see 3 tiers. BCS & well-supported teams, I-AA/FCS, and non-scholarship I-AA

Charlotte is not a real sports town and it may be very difficult for them to fill that 30,000 seat stadium. Not sure how successful that program will be especially with so many in that area being Clemson Tiger fans and fans of other schools.

(12-13-2009 01:07 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Exactly:

New Atlantic Coast FBS

Delaware
Old Dominion
James Madison
Liberty
Appalachian St
Charlotte
Georgia St
Ga Southern

Possibly: Coastal Carolina, Jacksonville St, Kennesaw St, Temple, UMass, Stony Brook, Youngstown St, even FIU and FAU from the Sunbelt

Jacksonville State is already planning on moving up, so they would be a good candidate for such a conference. Kennesaw just hired Vince Dooley in an advisory capacity to start up their program, but I don't see 2 start-ups in the Atlanta area both making the jump to 1-A at the same time... but who knows.

But with Ga State and Charlotte clearly harboring 1-A ambitions, and the top regional FCS schools all making improvements, I think the pieces are in place for some type of new 1-A league. Only time will tell.

(12-13-2009 09:04 PM)BamaRoll Wrote:  Charlotte is not a real sports town and it may be very difficult for them to fill that 30,000 seat stadium. Not sure how successful that program will be especially with so many in that area being Clemson Tiger fans and fans of other schools.

UNC, NCSU, WF, Duke, VT, ECU, UVA, USC etc etc etc

There's no quality college football in North Carolina. We aim to fill that void. Problem is NCSU and UNC-CH will probably want teams now.

(12-13-2009 12:36 PM)ECMAN79 Wrote:  The question is............can Charlotte sell 30,000 tickets? How long will it take them to fill their stadium up?
It was reported a few months ago that Villanova is losing 4.5 million dollars a year on football. And......they are located in a huge city.
It will be interesting to see how many people in the Charlotte metro area really care about 49er football.

No, they're located in the suburbs.

(12-13-2009 01:07 PM)NoDak Wrote:  

(12-13-2009 12:23 PM)esayem Wrote:  Don't you guys see it? This is the UNC system's way to make ECU football irrelevant. Not really, but I'm surprised that hasn't been said.

A 30k seat stadium, on campus. That doesn't scream FCS. With Georgia State looking to move up to FBS too, and a few other schools capable of doing so, I think we'll see that new conference develop and I think Charlotte was the final piece. I don't think Charlotte wants to return to the Sun Belt either.

Exactly:

New Atlantic Coast FBS

Delaware
Old Dominion
James Madison
Liberty
Appalachian St
Charlotte
Georgia St
Ga Southern

Possibly: Coastal Carolina, Jacksonville St, Kennesaw St, Temple, UMass, Stony Brook, Youngstown St, even FIU and FAU from the Sunbelt

I laughed.