Updated 09/18/2008 05:15 PM
Football one step closer for UNCC
Students carry a makeshift goalpost during a rally on Tuesday.
CHARLOTTE -- UNC Charlotte chancellor Philip Dubois recommended that the school apply for entry into the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision at a board of trustees meeting Thursday morning.
"I do believe that football will enrich the student experience here, enliven school spirit, and serve as one more bond of engagement between the students and their university," said Dubois.
For the last 21 months, the university has been reviewing the reasons for and against getting a football team. The biggest obstacle -- the cost, roughly $45.5 million.
Some of the costs will come from a new sports building estimated at $20 million, a new stadium that seats 12,000 for $20.5 million, and new practice fields for nearly $2.5 million. Dubois recommended a fee of $25 per semester beginning in 2010, and that fee would increase until 2013, maxing out at $100.
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The school is calling on alumni to purchase 49er seat licenses in the new stadium to help pay for it. However, since more than half of their alumni are under 37 years old, school officials realize the graduates may not be able to come through with the millions of dollars of donations needed.
“The capital costs are still a major hurdle for us,” said Dubois. “As I indicated, that’s going to be a conversation over the next couple of months before the board of trustees makes a final decision.
"We simply need the community to step up with some ideas about possible partnerships for addressing the capital needs of this or this isn’t even going to happen.”
The recommendation from the chancellor is only half the battle. Now it's up to the board of trustees to vote, which will happen at its Nov. 13 meeting.
Dubois also addressed the Title IX requirements, recommending woman's lacrosse, field hockey and possibly swimming.
At Thursday's meeting, the football facility needs were broken down as:
•Sports building (Pre-engineered): $20.36 million
•On-campus stadium (12,000 seats): $20.59 million
•Practice fields: $2.48 million
•Upgrade Transamerica Field: $300,000
•Storage building: $100,000
•Road and utility infrastructure: $570,000
•SAC renovation: $900,000