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On Thursday, officials from UNC Charlotte made a presentation regarding its new football program and possibly joining the SoCon as an associate member, in football only. Charlotte will begin play in 2013.

Iamarino said the presidents are scheduled to meet on June 16 and a vote on Charlotte will likely be done then.

http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/2011 ... ops-boost/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They're using this as a stepping stone for I-A, so I'd rather keep the SoCon as it is.

From the article, it doesn't appear that the SoCon is too jazzed about taking a FB affiliate. CAA FB already nixed the idea of taking on the UNCC start-up, since they weren't interested in bringing their Olympic sports over to the CAA... allegedly.

So, I wonder if the Big South has room at the cabin?

Doesn't make sense on numerous levels. It would screw up the current round robin football schedule and their addition would appear to be short term at best. Allowing football only also makes little sense.

My reaction

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Not sure why Appy's care? Aren't you fellas moving to the CUSA?

49RFootballNow wrote:Not sure why Appy's care? Aren't you fellas moving to the CUSA?

I'd say you guys are just as likely to end up there at some point, no?

Grizalltheway wrote:

49RFootballNow wrote:Not sure why Appy's care? Aren't you fellas moving to the CUSA?

I'd say you guys are just as likely to end up there at some point, no?

I'd say as former members of CUSA, in a large metro area, we have a leg up on that when the call to move to FBS comes up.

49RFootballNow wrote:Not sure why Appy's care? Aren't you fellas moving to the CUSA?

While we're still here, we have a vote so why shouldn't we care?

You wouldn't be able to join until 2015 anyway (after we become bowl eligable ) so you can try again next year.

T-Dog wrote:

49RFootballNow wrote:Not sure why Appy's care? Aren't you fellas moving to the CUSA?

While we're still here, we have a vote so why shouldn't we care?

You wouldn't be able to join until 2015 anyway (after we become bowl eligable ) so you can try again next year.

Why aren't you guys already in the SunBelt?

49RFootballNow wrote:Not sure why Appy's care? Aren't you fellas moving to the CUSA?

We don't and apparently the rest of the SoCon AD's agree. ODU and Ga. St. are in line ahead of your alleged team to go 1A.

http://gmine.blogspot.com/2011/06/socon ... 49ers.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

SoCon - As expected, no surprise

Big South - A little surprising. Kallendar's been against us joining since the beginning. At the end of the day the commissioner doesn't get a vote though. Coastal's AD in a interview several months ago sounded like Charlotte to the Big South was better than sliced bread. Apparently there are a lot of varying opions on the spectrum of AD's between Kallendar's and Coastal's AD. Considering this conference contains Stony Brook as a affiliate the best I can come up with is Judy and Phil wouldn't commit to a exit fee if we left.

Oh well. A10 and Independent is the path ahead.

49RFootballNow wrote:Oh well. A10 and Independent is the path ahead.

Independent is the path ahead if you're gonna be like UTSA and stick around for two or three years. Otherwise, take a look at the success of recent independents in the FCS. It's gonna be a helluva rough ride exciting your fanbase when you have almost no chance at the playoffs or playing anyone decent midway through the year. It's one of those scenarios that could easily end up spiraling out control until there's little support from even your own fans.

Charlotte needs to make clear its intentions and follow it through.

very glad this has come to pass. it's a good day for the 1936 members of the Southern Conference.


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"Rose said Charlotte's only other option for conference affiliation when the 49ers begin football in 2013 is the Colonial Athletic Association."

Well, it looks like the CAA holds all the cards now. If UNCC wants to be in a football conference, they'll have to do it for all sports now that they know no other conference will take them for football only.

At the very least it gives the CAA a gigantic bargaining chip...

Blue_Trombone wrote:"Rose said Charlotte's only other option for conference affiliation when the 49ers begin football in 2013 is the Colonial Athletic Association."

Well, it looks like the CAA holds all the cards now. If UNCC wants to be in a football conference, they'll have to do it for all sports now that they know no other conference will take them for football only.

At the very least it gives the CAA a gigantic bargaining chip...

Rose feels strongly that the rest of Charlotte's athletic teams remain in the Atlantic 10, which doesn't sponsor football.

I think that says it all. We've planned to be an Independent for a few years and there are few areas of the country were it can be done as easy as the southeast. We're not leaving the A10.

∞∞∞ wrote:It's gonna be a helluva rough ride exciting your fanbase when you have almost no chance at the playoffs or playing anyone decent midway through the year. It's one of those scenarios that could easily end up spiraling out control until there's little support from even your own fans.

Charlotte needs to make clear its intentions and follow it through.

It'll be a heluva rough ride for Charlotte to excite their fanbase regardless. Charlotte's a big town with lots of other diversions like pro sports & Nascar. It's a city filled with graduates of other universities who will care very little of seeing Charlotte 49er football, with no established historical perspective, unless they happen to be playing UNC, State or AppSt. And if they get games with against those teams, especially the first two, chances are the games won't be played in Charlotte. Good luck with that Independent thing though...

Charlotte will do fine as an Independent. I see them following the South Florida model. Charlotte and Tampa are very comparable. They will end up with the big boys eventually.......I see Big East Football in their future.

49RFootballNow wrote:http://gmine.blogspot.com/2011/06/socon ... 49ers.html

SoCon - As expected, no surprise

Big South - A little surprising. Kallendar's been against us joining since the beginning. At the end of the day the commissioner doesn't get a vote though. Coastal's AD in a interview several months ago sounded like Charlotte to the Big South was better than sliced bread. Apparently there are a lot of varying opions on the spectrum of AD's between Kallendar's and Coastal's AD. Considering this conference contains Stony Brook as a affiliate the best I can come up with is Judy and Phil wouldn't commit to a exit fee if we left.

Oh well. A10 and Independent is the path ahead.

I think the Big South stance should be expected. We have Stony Brook in the conference, clearly b/c they are just here before they move on. Also, as stated elsewhere, Charlotte has some stiff competition with the Panthers and NASCAR.

For any conference affiliation it has to be a mutual benefit. Charlotte makes no bones about their desire to play elsewhere as soon as possible, and makes no concessions from a bargaining standpoint. They've made it a priority to keep their athletics programs in another conference, so it's really the end of the discussion.

mainejeff wrote:Charlotte will do fine as an Independent. I see them following the South Florida model. Charlotte and Tampa are very comparable. They will end up with the big boys eventually.......I see Big East Football in their future.

The difference is that USF (from all I've read) had a clear mission statement as to where they want their football program. UNCC doesn't seem to have a vision for where they're headed...all the chinks in their athletic department's armor is showing. They need to sit down, evaluate exactly what they want to do with the program, and make it happen. I want Charlotte to succeed and enjoy football, but they need to be clear what the intentions are.

Being an FCS independent is perfectly fine if FBS is the goal with a clear timeline for getting there.

∞∞∞ wrote:

mainejeff wrote:Charlotte will do fine as an Independent. I see them following the South Florida model. Charlotte and Tampa are very comparable. They will end up with the big boys eventually.......I see Big East Football in their future.

The difference is that USF (from all I've read) had a clear mission statement as to where they want their football program. UNCC doesn't seem to have a vision for where they're headed...all the chinks in their athletic department's armor is showing. They need to sit down, evaluate exactly what they want to do with the program, and make it happen. I want Charlotte to succeed and enjoy football, but they need to be clear what the intentions are.

Being an FCS independent is perfectly fine if FBS is the goal with a clear timeline for getting there.

"We might be moving up to Division I or whatever they call it one day" is nothing to be excited over.

South Alabama made a four-year plan and published it two years in advance. ODU and GSU had CAA membership before even playing a down. UTSA had the Southland lined up before they went with the WAC. Mercer is already in the Pioneer League two years in advance.

Point is, this vague BS that Judy Rose is feeding the Charlotte fans and alum could cause massive long-term harm.

Charlotte, believe it or not, you are better off staying out of the SuckCon.
The only benefit of the SuckCon is the auto-bid to the playoffs, and if your sites are on FBS as soon as possible anyway, then who really cares about playoffs?
Something tells me that Charlotte fans are not crying in their beers about missing trips to Wofford, Elon, Samford, and WCU anyway.

OpieGSU wrote:Charlotte, believe it or not, you are better off staying out of the SuckCon.
The only benefit of the SuckCon is the auto-bid to the playoffs, and if your sites are on FBS as soon as possible anyway, then who really cares about playoffs?
Something tells me that Charlotte fans are not crying in their beers about missing trips to Wofford, Elon, Samford, and WCU anyway.

Well.........we'll probably be making those trips anyway, just with some yearly gaps.

Do we know how the schools voted?