- Charlotte 49ers
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Charlotte 49ers 
Affiliations University UNC Charlotte Division NCAA Division I Conference Atlantic 10 (A-10) General Nickname 49ers Mascot Norm the Niner Colors Green and white
Sports 16 (8 men's, 8 women's) Athletic Director Judy Rose Location Charlotte, NC Homepage Charlotte49ers.com Facilities Football Charlotte 49ers Football Stadium Basketball Dale F. Halton Arena Baseball Robert & Mariam Hayes Stadium Soccer Transamerica Field Conference Championships Men's Basketball 1969, 1970, 1977, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2004 Women's Basketball 1990, 2003, 2006 Golf 2006, 2007, 2008 Baseball 1993, 1994, 1995, 2007, 2008 Men's Soccer 1983, 1992, 1994, 1996 Women's Soccer 1997, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010 Men's Cross Country 2002 Men's Indoor Track 2001, 2006, 2009, 2010 Men's Outdoor Track 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010 Women's Cross Country 1992, 1993, 1994 Women's Indoor Track 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 Women's Outdoor Track 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011 The Charlotte 49ers represent the NCAA Division I sports teams of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Charlotte joined the Atlantic 10 in 2005. The 49ers field 16 teams, 8 men and 8 women.
Charlotte's Men's Basketball team reached the Final Four in 1977 and has made consistent NCAA tournament appearances ever since.[1] The Golf program was ranked the #1 team in the nation as recently as September 2007.[2]
Contents
Overview
Name
The athletics department officially changed its name to simply Charlotte in 2000.[3] The school's identity suffered from years of constant confusion and misrepresentations, such as N.C.-Charlotte, N.C.-Char, North Carolina-Charlotte, UNC, UNC-C, UNCC at Charlotte, and others. When the name change was made official, Athletics Director Judy Rose summarized the sentiment that drove the name change:
- "We're proud to be members of the University of North Carolina university system. But, frankly, we are tired of being confused with other institutions or having our own identity misused and misconstrued. It's harder to make a name for yourself, when your name keeps getting confused. Not only will this logo simplify matters, but it gives the program an exciting new look that better captures our essence."
The official school name remains the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Nickname
The nickname "49ers" derives from the fact that the university's predecessor—Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina (CCUNC - established in 1946) was saved from being shut down by the state in 1949 by Bonnie Cone, when the Charlotte Center became Charlotte College. Due to this "49er spirit" that Cone felt embodied the University, referring to the settlers that endured much hardships in traveling across the United States to seek fortune in the California Gold Rush, students of the fledgling UNC Charlotte chose "49ers" as the school's mascot. The fact that the site of the U.S.'s first major gold discovery, Reids Gold Mine, is located nearby may also be a contributing factor to the nickname. The fact that the University's Main Campus front entrance is located on North Carolina Highway 49 is pure coincidence.
Prior to the "49ers" moniker, the athletic teams were known as the "Owls" due to CCUNC's beginnings as a night school.
Logo
49ers Old Logo
Current Secondary LogoThe primary athletics logo contains a miner's hand and pick-axe as a reference to the Gold Rush. The arm of the Miner forms a "C" representing Charlotte. This logo is frequently used to replace the C in Charlotte when referenced to the university or the athletics programs.
Three secondary logos are also present: The "C" as a stand alone logo, a "4-9-e-r-s" word mark and a logo that incorporates both the "C" and the "4-9-e-r-s" logo. In addition, each sport has a sport-specific logo, consisting of the "C" with the specific icon contained inside.
The new logos replaced the face of a grizzly old Miner and a "4-9-e-r-s" script logo.
Rivalries
Charlotte has had its fair share of intense rivalries. In men's basketball, one of the most heated and intense rivalries was with the Bob Huggins-coached Cincinnati Bearcats of Conference USA. Throughout a ten-year period from 1995-96 to 2004-05, Charlotte managed to upset Cincinnati teams ranked #3, #8, #18, #20 in the country.[4][5][6][7] In what became known as the Cincinnati Incident, a brawl broke out between Cincinnati and the Charlotte student section, when a Cincinnati player threw the basketball into the stands. This led to the creation of a 'buffer zone' being implemented behind the visiting team's bench.[8] ESPN commentator Andy Katz provided this explanation on why Charlotte-Cincinnati was one of the juiciest rivalries in the country: "The games are hotly contested usually and the fans in Charlotte don't like Cincinnati. They get up for this game more than any other."[9]
Charlotte's 29-year men's basketball rivalry with the Davidson Wildcats sees Mecklenburg County's only two Division I schools go head-to-head for the Hornet's Nest Trophy. Charlotte leads the series 26-11.[10] Due to a scheduling conflict, the series was on hiatus until the 2010-11 season.[11]
Since Charlotte's move to the Atlantic 10, a clear-cut main conference rival has yet to emerge. Commentators have pointed to the Xavier Musketeers, George Washington Colonials and the Temple Owls as potential rivals. Charlotte has also has had some luck in finding some newer non-conference rivals. Such as Tennessee Volunteers, Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, Clemson Tigers and baseball rivals North Carolina Tar Heels, Wake Forest Demon Deacons and the Duke Blue Devils.
Conference Affiliations
Conference Realignment
Despite a popular and competitive Conference USA in which Charlotte enjoyed rivalries with the likes of Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, and others, the collegiate sports landscape underwent a major restructuring in 2004-2005. C-USA took the most serious hit of any conference,[12] losing many of its most successful members, including Charlotte.
After this dramatic reshuffle, Charlotte received an invitation to join the Atlantic 10 Conference, which it accepted.[13] Since joining the A-10, Charlotte has experienced much success in nearly every category with the exception of the signature sport of men's basketball. During the 49ers first season as an Atlantic 10 member, one overly "enthusiastic" college student wrote that Charlotte had "blown away" the A-10.[14]
Conference Membership
- Dixie Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NAIA, 1965–1970)
- Independent (1970–1976)
- Sun Belt Conference (1976–1991)
- Metro Conference (1991–1995)
- Conference USA (1995–2005)
- Atlantic 10 Conference (2005–present)
Facilities
Athletic facilities at Charlotte have improved dramatically over the past decade. In 1996 men's basketball returned to campus full-time for the first time in nearly 20 years with the opening of Dale F. Halton Arena. A new outdoor sports facility, the Irwin Belk Track and Field Center, opened in 1999 and serves as the home to the 49ers track and field teams in addition to both men's and women's soccer. Tom & Lib Phillips Field, the baseball facility, underwent a $6 million overhaul that was completed in 2007; the facility was renamed Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium in honor of the renovation's benefactor and her late husband. The golf team's new practice facility at Rocky River Golf Club in Concord was completed in October 2006.
Sports Overview
Sport Coach (since) Facility Baseball Loren Hibbs (1993) Hayes Stadium Basketball (M) Alan Major (2010) Halton Arena Basketball (W) Cara Consuegra (2011) Halton Arena Cross Country (M/W) Ed Schlichter (2009) Football Brad Lambert (2011) McColl-Richardson Field Golf (M) Ryan Cabbage (2011) Rocky River Golf Club Soccer (M) Jeremy Gunn (2007) Transamerica Field Soccer (W) John Cullen (2009) Transamerica Field Softball Aimee DeVos (1995) Phillips Field Tennis (M) Billy Boykin (2010) Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex Tennis (W) Michaela Gorman (2004) Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex Track/Field (M/W) Robert Olesen (2003) Belk Track Volleyball (W) Chris Redding (2007) Halton Arena Men's basketball
Main article: Charlotte 49ers men's basketballOverview
Halton Arena has been the on-campus facility for basketball and volleyball since 1996.- First season: 1965
- Conference Championships (10)
- 1969, 1970, 1977, 1978, 1988, 1992, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2004
- NCAA Tournament Appearances (11)
- NIT Appearances (6)
- 1976 (Finals), 1989, 1994, 2000, 2006, 2008
- Retired Jerseys
- 4 Byron Dinkins
- 4 DeMarco Johnson
- 13 Eddie Basden
- 23 Jarvis Lang
- 32 Melvin Watkins
- 33 Cedric Maxwell
- 34 Henry Williams
- 45 Charles Hayward
Football
Main article: Charlotte 49ers footballThe first sports program developed in 1946 (lasted until 1948), in 2006 students and alumni began a push for football to be added to the school. The Board of Trustees approved it in 2008, and with funding approved in 2010, the school will field its first official varsity football program since 1948 in 2013.
Baseball
Hayes Stadium has been the home of the 49ers' baseball team since 1984. A major renovation finished in 2008.- First season: 1979
- Conference Championships (7)
- 1993, 1994, 1995, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011
- NCAA Tournament Appearances (5)
- Retired Jerseys
- 5 Joey Anderson
- 7 Barry Shiflett
- 15 Tim Collie
Golf
- Consensus #1 in the nation by three major polls: Golfweek, Golfstat, and Nike - Fall 2007 (First National Number 1 Ranking in any varsity sport for Charlotte)
- Conference Championships (6)
- 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
- NCAA Championship 3rd Place - 2007
- NCAA Championship 8th Place - 2008
Women's basketball
- First season: 1975
- Conference Championships (4)
- 1990, 2003, 2006, 2009
- NCAA Appearances (2)
- WNIT Appearances (7)
- 1990, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011 (WNIT Final Four)
Men's Soccer
- First Season: 1976
- Conference Championships (5)
- 1983, 1992, 1994, 1996, 2010
- NCAA Appearances (6)
- 1991, 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2009
- NCAA Men's College Cup 1996 - Led by Striker Jonathan Mabee
- Atlantic 10 Men's Tournament Finalist 2007
- Charlotte alumnus Jon Busch named MLS Top Goalkeeper[15]
Women's Soccer
- First Season: 1994
- Conference Championships (6)
- 1997, 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010
- NCAA Appearances (4)
- 1998, 2002, 2007, 2008
- Women's 3-time defending Atlantic 10 Regular Season Champions
- Women's 2-time defending A-10 Tournament Champions
Further reading
References
- ^ USA Today
- ^ 49ers Golf Team Ranked Number 1 in the Nation
- ^ Charlotte 49ers Debut New Logo
- ^ College Basketball > Scoreboard > Sat Feb 07 1998
- ^ NY Times - BASKETBALL: Undefeated Bearcats Are Upset
- ^ Charlotte Upsets No. 8 Cincinnati, 86-83
- ^ Cincinnati Bearcats vs Charlotte 49ers - February 05, 2005
- ^ NinerOnline - The story of section 103
- ^ These eight rivalries have juice
- ^ 49ers game may be in doubt - again
- ^ http://www.charlotteobserver.com/423/story/161895.html
- ^ Compensating C-USA key to '04-05 moves
- ^ Charlotte accepts A-10 expansion invitation
- ^ Charlotte blows A-10 away in first year
- ^ Former 49ers All-American Jon Busch Named MLS Top Goalkeeper
External links
University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte) 49ers • A-10 • Belk College of Business • Belk Gymnasium • Charlotte Research Institute • Halton Arena • Duke Centennial Hall • Grigg Hall • Halton-Wagner • Hayes Stadium • Irwin Belk Track and Field Center • The SAC • McColl-Richardson Field • Miltimore-Wallis • People • Student organizations • University City • University of North Carolina
Atlantic 10 Conference Charlotte 49ers • Dayton Flyers • Duquesne Dukes • Fordham Rams • George Washington Colonials • La Salle Explorers • UMass Minutemen & Minutewomen • Rhode Island Rams • Richmond Spiders • St. Bonaventure Bonnies • Saint Joseph's Hawks • Saint Louis Billikens • Temple Owls • Xavier Musketeers
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