[givemethemic]

Not to far away it seems...

UNC Charlotte chancellor Philip Dubois
has recommended the school start a football program that would
begin play in 2013.
Dubois told the school's board of trustees Thursday that
the team should begin play in the lower-tier Football
Championship Subdivision, with the goal to eventually move to the
top level of Division I.
The board is expected to vote on the issue in November.
The plan will involve increasing student fees, and the
school must still devise a plan for a football stadium.

[jcmanson]

Any chance they would join the Big South as an associate member?

[SuperJon]

Believe me, we've been keeping a very close eye on this. The Big South's been going after them for years.

[ATrain]

Believe me, we've been keeping a very close eye on this. The Big South's been going after them for years.

Wasn't there an article where Kallander publicly stated he didn't want the Big South to be a stepping-stone conference to FBS?

[prototype]

Kallander wouldn't know how to run a pee-wee football league.

Who cares - as long as you keep the auto-bid. He needs to put efforts in helping the BSC create more revenue from their athletics so these schoolls can build better facilities and attract better athletes.

[Ed Dantes]

We've had this thread a few months ago. Kallander did indeed say something to the effect of, 'I'm an r-tard. I don't want Charlotte in my league, even though they are a legit school with a legit athletic program and right in our backyard."

The thing about automatic bids is this, you need to have at least six eligible schools playing for two years. The Big South hasn't had that, and won't until next year (I think). Even so, just because you meet the qualifications, it doesn't mean you're getting an auto-bid. You have to be one of the eight best conferences (nine, if you don't include the Ivy League, who doesn't go to the playoffs).

The Big South, who gets teams with no interest in bettering themselves, suffers as a result. You may have five lousy teams and one playoff-worthy, but because that one playoff team plays in a terrible conference, they get passed over.

[RagingTireFire]

Believe me, we've been keeping a very close eye on this. The Big South's been going after them for years.

Wasn't there an article where Kallander publicly stated he didn't want the Big South to be a stepping-stone conference to FBS?

However, we clearly don't mind being a stepping stone to the Patriot/CAA (ie., Towson, potentially Stony Brook).

[prototype]

Elon, Birmingham Southern, Campbell, UNCG...

Teams come and go, but getting any kind of relationship with Charlotte cannot be bad.

[jcmanson]

The thing about automatic bids is this, you need to have at least six eligible schools playing for two years. The Big South hasn't had that, and won't until next year (I think). Even so, just because you meet the qualifications, it doesn't mean you're getting an auto-bid. You have to be one of the eight best conferences (nine, if you don't include the Ivy League, who doesn't go to the playoffs).

The Big South, who gets teams with no interest in bettering themselves, suffers as a result. You may have five lousy teams and one playoff-worthy, but because that one playoff team plays in a terrible conference, they get passed over.

We’ve already got the auto-bid locked up for the conference starting in 2010.

[Cider Jim]

For the record, UNCC has a decent Quiz Bowl team, too.

[ATrain]

Believe me, we've been keeping a very close eye on this. The Big South's been going after them for years.

Wasn't there an article where Kallander publicly stated he didn't want the Big South to be a stepping-stone conference to FBS?

However, we clearly don't mind being a stepping stone to the Patriot/CAA (ie., Towson, potentially Stony Brook).

Towson went to the America East before the CAA. I, for one, would welcome Charlotte, even if it were for football-only until they stepped up to FBS. But at least we're not the stepping stone league for teams stepping up from Division II (that would be the Atlantic Sun).

[SuperJon]

They don't want to go FBS. And it would likely only be an associate member.

[Fumblerooskies]

Towson went to the America East before the CAA. I, for one, would welcome Charlotte, even if it were for football-only until they stepped up to FBS. But at least we're not the stepping stone league for teams stepping up from Division II (that would be the Atlantic Sun).

Elon? UNCG?

[ATrain]

They don't want to go FBS. And it would likely only be an associate member.

UNC Charlotte chancellor Philip Dubois
has recommended the school start a football program that would
begin play in 2013.
Dubois told the school's board of trustees Thursday that
the team should begin play in the lower-tier Football
Championship Subdivision, with the goal to eventually move to the
top level of Division I. The board is expected to vote on the issue in November.
The plan will involve increasing student fees, and the
school must still devise a plan for a football stadium.

[SuperJon]

You apparently haven't read anything else. Our goal is to eventually be the top level of Division I but we aren't planning on doing it anytime soon.

Under Dubois' plan, a team would start playing in a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly Division 1-AA) conference “for the foreseeable future.” UNCC would not try to elevate the program to the Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1-A) by 2016, contrary to the feasibility committee's recommendation.

“You have to build a solid program with a solid fan base,” Dubois said. “If you want to move to Division 1-A by Day X, you'd never be admitted by a Division 1-AA conference because no one would want you.”

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/100/story/199771.html

[jcmanson]

So yeah, it looks like UNC-C may actually get a football team.

[jcmanson]

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/breaki ... 47975.html

The UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees has voted 8-0, with one abstention, to adopt a Chancellor Phil Dubois plan that could add a football program at the school.

In September, Dubois recommended the school suit up a team by 2013, if boosters and football fans demonstrated support by raising $5 million in six months to help build a $45.3 million stadium complex.