[Sly Fox]

Much like the situation at ETSU, it wouldn't hurt us one bit to see another football program added to the region:

Mike Willard:

Why we need football

Dream of football at UNC Charlotte? Alumni and other school supporters say they're ready to make that dream a reality. A new Web site, www.charlotte49erfootball.com, launches later this summer, and organizers will present their case for why the university should add the sport. Site creator and UNCC alum Mike Willard recently answered questions via e-mail about this latest push to bring football to the university. The conversation has been edited for brevity.

Q. Why bring football to UNC Charlotte? Football is the next logical step for a school of UNC Charlotte's size, especially when expected growth is taken into consideration. Like it or not, many highly qualified potential undergrad students will not consider a school "real" unless it has a football program.

Our "UNC" prefix works against UNC Charlotte in a similar fashion, making it sound like a paltry public-outreach program run by Chapel Hill rather than its own established institution.

The lack of UNC Charlotte's progress on both of these fronts is embarrassing for an otherwise impressive school.

Q. Is there an appetite for football? Who are biggest supporters? The appetite exists in Charlotte. ... The problem is that when Saturday rolls around, the people with that appetite get in their cars and take that appetite to Raleigh, Chapel Hill, Boone, Columbia, Clemson, et cetera, and they take their wallets with them.

Football at UNC Charlotte, or rather the lack thereof, is a major reason students and alumni continue to maintain connections with schools they never even attended. It was infuriating to see students all over campus every fall wearing clothes with other schools' names on them, but if they like college football, I can't say I blame them for keeping their old ties.

Q. Some say football shouldn't be a top priority for the school. How do you change their minds? (Those people) invariably follow such remarks with something like "research and academics should always be the No. 1 priority."

Research and academics should be the No. 1 priority. However, many highly qualified students won't even consider UNC Charlotte because we lack a football program and the atmosphere that comes with it.

... UNC Charlotte spends boatloads of money in other areas meant to draw in new students; I don't see why the creation of a football program should be treated any differently.

Q. What made you want to launch the site? When will it be online? What will be on it? The site is something our fan group had been thinking about doing for a long time. When this past basketball season ended, there was an eruption of discussion about a push for football...

Our aim is to have the official site launch and its marketing campaign ready for the upcoming fall semester. The site will contain reasoning behind the movement, information on recently added college football programs, financial goals, and most importantly, how the visitor can help.

Q. There have been pushes for 49er football before. What makes this different? UNC Charlotte is in the midst of the biggest growth it has ever had.

This push is led by alumni and students who now have an excellent way to collaborate and coordinate efforts (www.ninernation.net) that was previously unavailable.

Perhaps most importantly, new Chancellor (Phil) Dubois has experience in leading a university with a football program (Wyoming), and hasn't completely shut the idea out for his tenure.

Q. How can fans support this effort? Donate money to the UNC Charlotte Athletic Foundation with a note letting them know that your donation comes with the hope that better funding of current sports can lead to the creation of a football program.

Pledge to donate money or buy season tickets upon the creation of a football program with our upcoming pledge drive to be announced soon.

Spread the word. Once the site is operational, it will be easy to pass along information.

Why This Matters to Fans

Talk of starting a football team at UNC Charlotte has been around for several years. New Chancellor Phil Dubois said he has not ruled out the idea. Supporters say fans must now take action to make it happen. Organizers behind a new Web site campaign to start a team say the university needs assurance of financial support from football fans.

Alumnus Jim Duncan is asking fans to make donations to the UNC Charlotte Athletic Foundation with a note indicating a desire for a football team. He suggests fans should state how much you'd be willing to contribute in the future to help create a football team, what your potential annual contributions would be and how many season tickets you would buy.

So far, Duncan said, more than 65 people have pledged $63,900 in startup donations, $28,200 in additional yearly donations and the purchase of 169 season tickets. "I have been impressed with the thought that people have put into it," Duncan said.

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/ ... 897497.htm

[SuperJon]

Not happening.

[01LUGrad]

I agree with SJ unless they are willing to drop several men's sports or add several women's sports to comply with the very fair and well thought out law by the name of Title IX. (See also JMU thread.)

[SuperJon]

I didn't even read the article but it's not happening. UNCC is a commuter school. Their football team is the PAnthers.

[Realist]

SJ is right. I'm fairly knowledgeable about the school since I've worked with them in the past and currently getting my mba/mha there at their uptown campus. The school is very large, but mostly commuter. School pride is almost non-existant. The school is sort of like the city, a hodge podge of people from around the country that have stronger ties to other regions and teams. The Panthers were able to overcome that with the city and draw them into the fanbase, but I doubt a start-up football program at the college level will do the same.

It is a shame since it's a very excellent school otherwise, but they probably have one of the worst branding problems of schools nationwide when compared to it's academic reputation and school size.

[4everfsu]

I have to disagree, USF is considered a commuter school also, Bucanneers are there, so UNCC can do it, but it will take money and committment. They could follow USF lead to building a good program. Also a little history on USF, school was founded in the 50's, didn't get a basketball team for about 20 yrs or more as the school first president was againist intercollegiate sports.

[Sly Fox]

Commuter schools can carve themselves out niches. Its more difficult but it can be done. Florida is full of them.

[A.G.]

The folks around UNC-C must be smoking grass roots if they think football will work there. Stick to what they do well in Charlotte--and that is basketball and racin'.

[SuperJon]

Amen.

[SuperJon]

All of the UNC-system schools that have football are the only ones that will. Every year or two rumors about UNC-W and UNC-C come up but neither one will ever have football.

[Realist]

The problem is uncc has too many other things to pour money into rather than football. They have an overcrowding issue (put it this way, the size of their campus is about twice of winthrop and has quadruple the population) and needs new buildings for expansion and tons of more parking. They also have a booming grad program that is opening some great new buildings downtown which have to be paid for. If football comes, it will be after all these things that need to happen, which is going to be years, if ever.