[QUOTE=JaMiNNiNeR;142758]If a team is ever started the first two years or so we could play at Memorial Studium near downtown. That would give time for an on campus stadium to be built. The stadium would need to be designed to expand as the program grew. We would start as Division 1-AA and if we ever would move up to Division 1-A we would need a stadium with a certain amount of seats.[/QUOTE]
For D1AA - why not just play on the soccer field?
Seriously. Itâs a nice facility. Itâs not like weâd draw that many fans (at first). Start planning for expansion or a new facility after a few years.
This was a great post. I'm used to the naysayers tossing out figures.
Iâm a bit curious about how you refer to us in the third person. Not to discredit anything you said, as an alumnus Iâd love for a football field to be built and for the ball to start rolling for a football programs.
Welcome to the board!
Fighting the football battle at my alma mater, Marquette. But, my dad lives outside Charlotte so I have always been a Charlotte fan. I have been to the Charlotte campus, even attended a game there. Anyway, MU is about to announce a $1 Billion campaign. However, given the bad blood between the school and the alums over the nickname issue, the University is concerned. Consequently, a group of alums have been pushing MU to restart football, not on the 1-A level, but non-scholarship as a way to get alums back on campus. Scholarship costs at a private school make 1-A football very difficult with a fair amount of money in the bank. However, since MU already has a football field that seats 2000 or so, non-scholarship would be a perfect place to start. There is also talk of building a 20,000 seat stadium near campus to hold an MLS team. The perfect size for 1-AA football. Further, MU is close to many of the Pioneer League schools (Drake, Butler, etc).
After a few meeting with Advancement, a friend of mine is meeting with Advancement and a rep from Athletics in a couple weeks to discuss the idea. So, I have lots of information on costs, timetable, etc. I still think its a very long shot, at best. MU has a history of ignoring alums opinions. However, its worth a shot.
Donât you know youâre supposed to be a Tar Heel fan if youâre from Charlotte? THATâS the team who youâre supposed to follow. Jeez. Mike P. let one slip through the cracks
Iâm happy to hear that Marquette is making an effort to bring football. Iâve actually stayed on your campus for Summerfest. How far away is that MLS stadium going to be built from the campus?
Donât hesitate to tell us more. The non-scholarship idea intrigues me. I would love for Charlotte to start somewhere. It seems like all we do is talk about starting a football program 5-10 years down the road, and those 5-10 years pass by and nothing ever happens.
[QUOTE=NinerAdvocate;142980]For D1AA - why not just play on the soccer field?
Seriously. Itâs a nice facility. Itâs not like weâd draw that many fans (at first). Start planning for expansion or a new facility after a few years.[/QUOTE]
hell is freezing. NA and I agree.
playing 1AA on the soccer field has been my postion for years now. There is no room to expand toward the street, but you can go 3 other directions.
Not sure if it matters, but Iâm a local who never went to UNCC. I go to about 2-3 UNCC basketball games a year. Iâm an Panthers PSL and Season Ticket Holder. If UNCC got football and the stadium was family friendly and cost effective Iâd be interested in season tickets as well. Enjoy watching football, but other then the Panthers there isnât any decent college football in Charlotte. I think college football in Charlotte would go over well, especially if located near the downtown district.
Itâs not like we would be trying to drum up interest in a new Tennis program, or soccer, or even baseball. FOOTBALL is KING in AMERICA. It is Americaâs new favorite past time.
[QUOTE=metro;144183]hell is freezing. NA and I agree.
playing 1AA on the soccer field has been my postion for years now. There is no room to expand toward the street, but you can go 3 other directions.[/QUOTE]
does the soccer stadium hold enough people though? Isnât a D1AA program supposed to have seats for 15000?
Donât you know youâre supposed to be a Tar Heel fan if youâre from Charlotte? THATâS the team who youâre supposed to follow. Jeez. Mike P. let one slip through the cracks
Iâm happy to hear that Marquette is making an effort to bring football. Iâve actually stayed on your campus for Summerfest. How far away is that MLS stadium going to be built from the campus?
Donât hesitate to tell us more. The non-scholarship idea intrigues me. I would love for Charlotte to start somewhere. It seems like all we do is talk about starting a football program 5-10 years down the road, and those 5-10 years pass by and nothing ever happens.
I agree. You need to get a team on campus. Then, you can plot on how to move up. But, taking that initial plunge is the biggest step.
I would not go as far as saying Marquette is making an effort. I am shocked that someone in ahletics is actually interested in talking with an alum about starting football. That is major step forward. Heretofore, the only thing MU would say is that they could not start football (or even talk about starting it) without $100 million. BTW, Jack Harbaugh, former coach at Western Kentucky when the won the 1-AA National Title a couple of years ago, is an assistant AD at MU. He is Creanâs father-in-law. So, MU already has a coach, and a pretty good one, on staff.
The ownership group is trying to find a location for the MLS stadium. Time is running out. They need to have a site and financing in place by the end of the year or the expansion fee is going to increase. I think 3 sites hold the most promise. 1) close to the Summerfest grounds; 2) In the Valley next to the Casino; or 3) the old Pabst Brewery site. The city is against 3, though. I know the guys in the MLS ownership group. They are MU guys who really want to bring football back. I have joked with them that getting the MLS team is just an excuse to get a stadium built for MU football. Funny, they never disagree with that statement.
As for the guy who suggest that you need a 15,000 seat stadium for 1-AA. Thatâs not true. Lots of schools play in small stadiums. Rhode Island seats 6000, I think. Drake is down sizing their stadium to 14,000. Butlerâs stadium holds 7000 now. Even Coastalâs stadium is around 11,000, I think.
As for the guy who suggest that you need a 15,000 seat stadium for 1-AA. Thatâs not true. Lots of schools play in small stadiums. Rhode Island seats 6000, I think. Drake is down sizing their stadium to 14,000. Butlerâs stadium holds 7000 now. Even Coastalâs stadium is around 11,000, I think.[/QUOTE]
yeah, youâre right. I just thought I heard someone else say that before.
[quote=âMeanJoeGreen, post:27, topic:9196â][font=arial][size=1em]The fees are potentially a great idea. You graduate the fees so that it has a minimum impact on current students and future students make there UNCC their choice knowing that the fees are part of it. The fees help with the start up costs and eventually counter the annual cost. Any revenues can go back to offset the following yearâs fees. The students should be able to vote on if they want the fees. I have to believe that most students would be for it. UNCC tuition is pretty damn affordable. Hell, how much does it cost to park there now? I donât see too many empty parking lots when I drive through campus.
âWhere are those donations totaling $1 mill? The monies donated to the Alumni Center were from a private party(s) who CHOSE for the money to go to building the house. You canât take money allocated for other things and simply put it towards football.ââ
You misunderstood the comment. Didnât say to steal that money. You guys keep asking where are the donations? The Alumni Center is a cause that got $1mil from one party. Not too shabby. Where can people donate monies to a football program, sounds like you know it all?
âYou canât take money allocated for other things and simply put it towards football. Budgets donât work like that in general, and the primary purpose of college is college, not football. The money is going to have to primarily come from outside benefactors to get the program started. Nobody with deep pockets has pledged a big amount yet. When they do, we might get the ball rolling.â
DisagreeâŚA football program can only get rolling if the students get proactive. Business and private donors will follow. Again, right now, where is someone supposed to donate for a future football program? The current and past ADMIN is against it. [/size][/font]
As for the budget, YEAR 2006-07 UNCC annual budget was $2,170,486,009 dollars. With previous research showing that the annual cost for a football program being about $7million (even with additional staff and womens programs), the annual cost of a football program is about .003% of the total annual budget.
If sports arenât part of the college experience, why the hell do we have basketball, or baseball? How much recognition would we get if we only had the debate club to sport?[/quote]
Just shed a tear. See, there were alums pushing football pre-CFI and Metro wasnât all bad. Looking back at threads like this, it is bizarre seeing some of the more supportive fans being anti-football.
What is amazing to me is that given all the reasons why we couldnât do football listed in this thread we still managed to do it and in the worst economic climate in generations. What say you naysayers?
This: THANKS to everyone who have made this NINER MIRACLE happen. How it was done in âthese timesâ still astounds me. If someone who REALLY knows and can tell us. Please do.
I wouldnât consider myself a naysayer, far from it, Iâm just a rational, logical, elder statesman who has attended, supported in body, spirit, mind and money, and LOVED this school since 1971. But, Iâm pleasantly pleased football is coming this soon. I wanted and knew it would eventually, but this is a NINER dream come true.
THANKS to all who really had a significant hand in getting this done. I always supported it, but had no real power to affect anyone or anything toward the goal. But when FSLs went on sale I bought 2 and am ready to buy tix. THANKS!
Sorry i am so mean, but this thing has unfolded like i was NoterDumass. It only worked because of most of you, people like MacEv and our students; and I want to thank you all again.
But, Norman makes a good point. A football program, with additional scholarships, would be a blip on the overall school operating budget. How does the school build a parking deck when it wants one? It adds a fee to their tuition costs. How does UNCCâs tuition compare to private colleges or northern schools? Plenty of room there.
A football fee could be voted on by the studentsâjust an idea to help with start-up and operating costs. Year 1=$50/semester, Y2=75, Y3=100, Y4=125, Y5=150â>yielding well over $20 million in 5 years. We are projected to have 25000 students in 5 yearsâŚI would have voted for it as a student.
Donations are out there. Nowhere do donate at present. For example, the Harris Alumni Center started with a $1million donation from Harris
[quote=â70inchdeac, post:35, topic:9196â][QUOTE=Normmm;140320]Just throwing out another âwhat ifâ scenario if we had started football 10 years ago. If nothing else weâd probably be in the Big East.[/QUOTE]
So are you saying theyâd throw someone out and take Charlotte or that Charlotte would get in ahead of ECU which already has a football team.[/quote]
Iâm saying that your defensive coordinator thinks that Charlotte has great potential. :-*
[quote=âNormmm, post:97, topic:9196â][quote=â70inchdeac, post:35, topic:9196â][QUOTE=Normmm;140320]Just throwing out another âwhat ifâ scenario if we had started football 10 years ago. If nothing else weâd probably be in the Big East.[/QUOTE]
So are you saying theyâd throw someone out and take Charlotte or that Charlotte would get in ahead of ECU which already has a football team.[/quote]
Iâm saying that your defensive coordinator thinks that Charlotte has great potential. :-*[/quote]
