- Belk Gymnasium
infobox Stadium | stadium_name=Belk Gymnasium
nickname= The Mine Shaft
location=UNC CharlotteCharlotte, North Carolina 28223
broke_ground=1968
opened=1970
closed=1996 (for intercollegiate events)
owner=UNC Charlotte
operator=UNC Charlotte
construction_cost=unknown
architect=unknown
tenants=Charlotte 49ers (men) (NCAA ) 1970-1976Charlotte 49ers (women) (NCAA ) 1975-1996
seating_capacity=3,000Belk Gymnasium, known informally as The Mine Shaft, is a gymnasium on the campus of the
University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte,North Carolina . Completed in 1970, it was the first on-campus home of theCharlotte 49ers basketball team.History
Before Belk Gym was built, UNC Charlotte's basketball team (then a member of the NAIA) played at various high school gyms in the greater Charlotte area. As the full-time home of the 49ers from 1970 through 1976, the team enjoyed a tremendous home-court advantage, going undefeated at home in 1974, 1975, and 1976. When Charlotte joined the
Sun Belt Conference for the 1976-77 season, Belk's seating capacity (approximately 3,000) was too small for the conference's standards; as a result, the team moved its conference home games to the old Charlotte Coliseum.From 1976 until the opening of
Dale F. Halton Arena in 1996, the 49ers' women's basketball team and volleyball team played in the Mine Shaft; the men's basketball team played lower-profile non-league games in the gym during that time period - at least one each season.Today
With the opening of Halton Arena, Belk Gym was no longer needed as a host for intercollegiate activities. Its bleachers were removed in 2000, and the main floor was removed in 2003; at that time, the overhead scoreboard was also removed. The facility now houses the Department of Recreational Services and the Department of Kinesiology for UNC Charlotte.
The gym is still an integral part of UNC Charlotte classroom usage. The second floor houses RM 229, nicknamed "The Stadium" by students because of its old school stadium style seats and elevated floor.
succession box
title = Home of theCharlotte 49ers
years = 1970 – 1976
before = First permanent facility
after =Cricket Arena
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