Something that gives some figures to ponder. Hereâs the story from the February 26, 2004 University TimesâŚ
Football sidelined until Universityâs objectives met, National tragedy hindered athleticsâ plans to ask community, business leaders for donations
by Sila Vlachou, UT Asst. A&E Editor
February 26, 2004 11:15 AM
Sept. 11, 2001 was not only a national tragedy, but it was the day the prospect of UNC Charlotte fielding a football team went up in smoke.
Prior to the terrorist attack on American capitalism, the University had a committee of leaders and companies in place that was laying the groundwork to determine the feasibility of a Charlotte 49ersâ football team.
âThis committee was going the right direction,â said Darrin Spease, associate athletic director for business affairs. âWe were trying to figure out how UNC Charlotte could get a football team or whether this community would like to have a football team or not.â
But tragedy struck and major layoffs followed.
Realizing many who had initial interest would not be willing to invest money into the football team due to the declining economy, the committee decided it wasnât the right time to ask the community if they would like to have a football team. The committee dissolved shortly after.
Since then, UNCC Chancellor James Woodward has repeatedly said the acquisition of a football team would not happen on his watch.
Woodward told a group of student leaders in November that UNCC has yet to pull the trigger on the decision to field a football team given the costs and uncertainties of intercollegiate athletics.
âWe have sort of a hard rule on this campus,â Woodward told students. âWe donât put academic programs nor athletic programs in place unless we can compete at the highest level.â
Woodward said a study was conducted by the University two years ago about what it would take to have a competitive Division I football team within seven years and found the costs to be too great at that period of time.
âWhat we canât do is announce that we are going to play Division 1 football in five, six or seven years and then change our minds,â said Woodward. âThatâs harmful to the reputation of this University.
He does believe it is only a matter of time before the Charlotte 49ers will pick up the pigskin. His successor as well as the athletic director would have to see increased stability in athletics before the University takes on the financial risk of funding a team, he said.
As Woodwardâs career is nearing its final year, his focus on moving the University to the highest level of doctoral research status has only strengthened, putting issues such as the football team on the backburner.
âCertainly, if the University had all the things in place, research taken care of, all the buildings built, all the things that are needed to do to complete itâs primary mission, which is to educate the population of North Carolina and particularly this region, then football would probably be more on the front burner,â said Spease.
With the introduction this spring of its 12th doctoral program, infrastructure and environmental systems, the University is only a few years away from joining UNC-Chapel Hill and N.C. State as the third public doctoral research extensive university.
With Woodwardâs retirement will come UNCCâs fourth chancellor who will have his own objectives for the University.
But creating a football team takes more than mere interest. Significant amounts of money have to be placed on the table.
Coaches, trainers, support staff, offices, athletic and training facilities, scholarships and travel all have to be considered.
The athletic department studied averages for Conference USA schools a few years ago to estimate financial needs of a football teamâs upkeep. It was determined the annual cost to maintain a competitive Division I football team would be around $6.6-7.7 million.
âWe couldnât be in Division II or III simply because you canât have cross-divisional athletic programs anymore,â said Spease.
Since all current sports in the athletic program participate in Division I, football would have to follow.
In addition to upkeep, the University would have to address initial startup costs regarding a football field. Building a NCAA required 30,000-seat on-campus facility or municipal stadium could cost anywhere between $25-75 million.
A less expensive alternative would be renting the Carolina Panthersâ facilities, but UNCC would run into problems scheduling access and logistics.
With the addition of football, the Charlotte 49ersâ athletic program would have to upgrade its other sports to further comply with Title IX requirements to have an equal number of scholarships for women athletes comparable to men. This could potentially mean the University would have to field more womenâs sports programs or take away some menâs teams.
The additional 110 male athletes would need to be countered with 130 female athletes.
According to Spease, UNCC is not an institution that is able to write a multimillion-dollar check, give it to athletics and wish them to have a nice program.
None of the money can come from the state, but only from donations and increases in student fees.
Spease said if students were asked if they would pay more tuition and fees to get a football team, only 10 percent would probably oblige.
âThe rest will just say I would like a football team, but I donât want my tuition and fees to increase,â said Spease.
Given all the costs, Spease said the University is not in a position to have a football team right now.
But that doesnât stop the question from being asked and rumors from circulating.
UNCC legend has it that a football team would not be created out of respect for University founder Bonnie Cone who was said to have lost a son or nephew to a high school football injury. Others whisper about a mysterious, wealthy donor who wouldnât give a huge donation without the stipulation of no football. Both of which are not true.
There has been buzz about the 49ersâ recent move to the basketball-rich Atlantic 10 having an impact on the programâs commitment to football.
Spease said the decision to move to the A-10 did not push or pull them from the decision to have football.