The first step to football at UNC Charlotte is complete as the Chancellor’s appointed Feasibility Committee decided to recommend an overwhelming and unanimous yes to answer the committee’s charge of deciding whether UNC Charlotte should add a football team.
On the Friday afternoon before the Christmas holiday, the mood was electric as media onlookers from every major outlet watched as the committee composed of multiple representatives of the Charlotte business community, alumni, students, faculty and general community members approved of a “yes to football” decision. The goal is now to field a team by the 2012 season.
But the next major roadblock presents itself. Funding.
The funding for a football team will come through student fees. Student fees will provide nearly 80% of the overall cost of the team. But recent policy decisions at a UNC system level may prevent football from ever getting a start. Erskine Bowles has instructed every Chancellor to keep fees and tuition capped at a % rate that varies with the amount of money that is provided from the NC state budget in an effort to pressure the NC General Assembly into funding public education. One of the fees that would be capped includes any increases in the general athletic fee, thus making football impossible.
This year, Charlotte could raise student fees only about $85 and a fee increase for football would likely be phased in at $100 a year for the next few years. An exception will have to be granted by Erskine to make Football happen, but would that exception undermine the plan to force political pressure on NC lawmakers? A Charlotte exception would be cited by other chancellors and perhaps lead to the entire % college cost cap breaking down. While the road to football is long and funding issues will have to be worked out, today is a day to celebrate the victory in a long road of victories starting with the call to arms which led to an SGA poll in Spring 2007 bringing nearly 8400 students out in a record show of school spirit.
I am proud and ecstatic to be on the front lines of this movement and even only a year ago we thought 49er football would be impossible. Now we can truly say it is just on the horizon.
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December 23rd, 2007 at 1:37 pm
Great news! let’s keep moving forward and you have my support 110% Good work!