The 'Charlotte 49ers' is the name for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte. This consists of sixteen teams (eight for each gender) that compete in the
Atlantic 10 Conference of the NCAA's Division I.
The school's official colors are green and white, though black also features prominently in the school's athletic logos and uniforms and gold is prominent in all logos. The nickname ''49ers'' derives from the fact that the Charlotte Center for the University of North Carolina, a night school created to educate returning
World War II veterans, was saved from closing in
1949 by Bonnie Cone. The school was rechristened Charlotte College that year and became UNC Charlotte in
1965. The best national finish by a 49ers athletic team is 3rd, accomplished by the men's golf team at the
2007 NCAA Golf Championship.
Overview of teams
Overview of conferences
NAIA
★
Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1965-1970)
NCAA Division I
★ Independent (1970-1976)
★
Sun Belt Conference (1976-1991)
★
Metro Conference (1991-1995)
★
Conference USA (1995-2005)
★
Atlantic 10 Conference (2005-present)
Name Issue
Even though the university's official name is The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the athletic department opted in 2000 to shorten the university's name to 'Charlotte' for athletics purposes. This decision was prompted by the constant misrepresentations of the school's name in the media at the local and national level.
Facilities
Athletic facilities at Charlotte have improved dramatically over the past decade. In 1996 men's basketball returned to campus full-time for the first time in nearly 20 years with the opening of
Dale F. Halton Arena. A new outdoor sports facility, the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center, opened in 1999 and serves as the home to the 49ers track and field teams in addition to both men's and women's soccer. Tom & Lib Phillips Field, the baseball facility, underwent a $6 million overhaul that was completed in
2007; the facility was renamed
Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium in honor of the renovation's benefactor and her late husband. The golf team's new practice facility at Rocky River Golf Club in Concord was completed in October 2006.
Football at Charlotte
UNC Charlotte does not have a football team. When the University was still just Charlotte College, there was a football team, but it was disbanded after a short time. Founder Bonnie Cone is sometimes credited with the initial ban on a football program that has persisted throughout the University's history, but this is inaccurate. There have been several myths that have been spread as to why the University doesn't have a team and many still persist to this day.
The April 1, 2004 issue of the campus newspaper, The ''University Times'', parodied this controversy by claiming on the front page that alumnus
Clay Aiken was in the process of donating millions to the university for the creation of a football team.
In 2006, a student and alumni organization formed in an effort to bring an NCAA Division I-A football team to UNC Charlotte. So far the organization, Charlotte 49er Football Initiative, has set up a website in order to get a list of supporters and pledges supporters would like to make, if there were a team. They have also begun selling t-shirts and stickers to further bolster support. An on campus student version has been created and the organization as a whole has begun receiving attention, including that of the media.[8]
Near the end of 2006, a poll was undertaken to see if the topic of football should go to an official student vote. There were over 4,000 votes cast, 97% of them being for the 'yes' option.[1][2]
On February 26, 2007, the Student Government Association released the results of a 2-week official student opinion poll in which nearly 40% of all students voted, making this the highest turnout achieved in school history. The results were:[3]
★ 22% of students voted in support of no fee increase
★ 78% of students voted in support of a fee increase
★ 52% of students voted in support of paying at least $200 per year
★ 59% of students would attend 5 to 6 home games
★ 72% of students would travel more than 5 miles to attend home games
★ 56% of students would travel more than 10 miles to attend home games
★ 59% of students would be more interested in 49er Athletics as a result of football
★ 12% of students would not consider attending football games after graduation
★ 62% of students attended at least one college football game at another school last season
In February of 2007, the Board of Trustees voted to establish a Football Feasibility Committee to be headed by outgoing Board President Mac Everett. The Committee held several meetings throughout the summer of 2007 and plans to conduct two public forums in the fall of 2007. Following these meetings, the committee will make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees regarding the feasibility of adding a football program at Charlotte; this recommendation will likely come sometime in 2008. If the Board then votes in favor of adding football, a team would likely begin play in 2012.
Accomplishments
Baseball
Hayes Stadium has been the home of the 49ers' baseball team since 1984.
★ First season: 1979
★ Conference Championships (4)
★
★ 1993, 1994, 1995, 2007
★ NCAA Tournament Appearances (3)
★
★ 1993 (0-2)
★
★ 1998 (0-2)
★
★
2007 (2-2)
Men's Basketball
Halton Arena has been the on-campus facility for basketball and volleyball since 1996.
★ First season: 1965
★ Conference Championships (9)
★
★ 1969, 1970, 1977, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2004
★ NCAA Tournament Appearances (11)
★
★
1977 (Final Four - 4th Place)
★
★
1988 (1st Round)
★
★
1992 (1st Round)
★
★
1995 (1st Round)
★
★
1997 (2nd Round)
★
★
1998 (2nd Round)
★
★
1999 (2nd Round)
★
★
2001 (2nd Round)
★
★
2002 (1st Round)
★
★
2004 (1st Round)
★
★
2005 (1st Round)
★ NIT Appearances (5)
★
★ 1976 (Finals), 1989, 1994, 2000, 2006
Women's Basketball
★ First season: 1975
★ Conference Championships (3)
★
★ 1990, 2003, 2006
★ NCAA Appearances (1)
★
★
2003 (1st Round)
★ NIT Appearances (5)
★
★ 1990, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
External Links
★
Charlotte49ers.com
★
UNC Charlotte official homepage
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