UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees Votes To Add Football to 49ers Athletic Program
More than 4,000 Forty-Niner Seat Licenses Already Requested - Sales to Begin in January
VIDEO: November 13th 49ers Football Press Conference
VIDEO: Judy Rose Addresses the Board, Nov. 13
VIDEO: Charlotte Football: It's a Rush, Nov. 13
Nov. 13, 2008
Charlotte, NC - "Going after what you want takes courage and achieving it takes everyone," said Director of Athletics Judy Rose of the historic decision to bring football to UNC Charlotte. "Uniting this campus and this city with this game isn't a challenge - it's an honor."
The honor was made possible by nearly two years of research and study by the Football Feasibility Committee, Chancellor Philip L. Dubois, the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees and others at the University.
The honor was made possible by a unanimous recommendation by the Football Feasibility Committee, chaired by Mac Everett and commissioned by the Board of Trustees and Dubois.
The honor was made possible by the eagerly anticipated Sept. 18 recommendation of Dubois after months of due diligence.
The honor was made possible by an outpouring of support from UNC Charlotte students, an unaffiliated Charlotte 49ers football initiative and the many alums and fans who stepped forward to reserve Forty-Niner Seat Licenses (FSLs).
The honor was ultimately made possible today, Thursday, Nov. 13, by the vote of the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees, chaired by Ruth Shaw.
In his Sept. 18 presentation, Dubois said he felt the time was right for football at UNC Charlotte because it helps foster a full university experience that many students crave as undergraduates and could help build even closer relationships with alumni and the greater Charlotte community. The University is expected to have 35,000 students by 2020.
During his presentation, Dubois said the issue was not really about whether UNC Charlotte will play football, but rather was a question of where UNC Charlotte wants to be 20 years after football begins.
The Charlotte 49ers athletic department will announce specifics and next steps in the process in January. At that time, the 49ers will define Forty-Niner Seat License parameters and ticket policies and identify key members of the 49ers fundraising team.
Since Dubois' September recommendation and stipulation that 5,000 FSLs be sold within six months of a favorable Board of Trustees vote, the 49ers have reserved over 80 percent of that goal, which would raise approximately $5 million for football. The 49ers will continue to take FSL requests until the January announcement, at which time the first sale of FSLs will begin.
University administrators estimate an additional $40 million will need to be raised to fund other capital expenses such as a field house office and locker-room space, practice facilities and the construction of a stadium.
