Acceptance Media Release

Charlotte Accepts Invitation to Join Atlantic 10 Conference
From Atlantic10.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CHARLOTTE, NC - The University of North Carolina at Charlotte has accepted the Atlantic 10 Conference's offer of membership and will begin play with the 2005-06 season, it was announced today.

"GW has always used its athletic successes to cast a spotlight on its academic excellence," said Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, president of The George Washington University and president of the Atlantic 10 Conference Presidents Council. "We believe that Charlotte is an institution cut from the same mold. Along with the other members, we are pleased and proud to welcome them to the Atlantic 10 family."

"We have enjoyed being a part of Conference USA," said UNC Charlotte chancellor James Woodward. "However, in many ways, the Atlantic 10 is the perfect fit for UNC Charlotte. The membership consists of very fine academic institutions; particular attention is given to basketball rather than football; and it's 'footprint' coincides very well with those states from which we attract the largest number of out-of-state students and in which many of our alumni live. We look forward to becoming a contributing and successful member of the Atlantic 10 in 2005."

"Charlotte meets all of the goals our presidents and athletic directors established for expansion," says Atlantic 10 commissioner Linda Bruno. "Charlotte is an outstanding institution with a strong commitment to academic and athletic excellence. Their addition will make us better in many sports, particularly in men's basketball, which will further solidify the Atlantic 10 as one of the premier men's basketball conferences in the country. Charlotte is a very desirable market - one in which we previously had no presence. All these factors make Charlotte an excellent addition to the Atlantic 10."

Charlotte, which has over 19,000 students, sponsors the Atlantic 10 sports of baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, men's golf, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field, and women's volleyball.

The 49ers men's basketball team has been to nine NCAA Tournaments, including five in the last seven years. The 49ers advanced to the Final Four in 1977, with a team led by future Boston Celtic great Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell (who will have his No. 31 jersey retired by the Celtics this December). In addition, 11 of the 49ers' 16 sports have been represented in NCAA Tournament competition since 1991 and nine sports have claimed conference championships since that time.

The Atlantic 10 Conference consists of the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, University of Massachusetts, University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Temple University, and Xavier University.

The Atlantic 10 Conference crowns champions in 21 sports: baseball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's cross country, field hockey, men's golf, women's lacrosse, men's and women's indoor and outdoor track & field, women's rowing, men's and women's soccer, softball, men's and women's swimming & diving, men's and women's tennis, and women's volleyball.

UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE
Facts
Location: Charlotte, NC 28223
Enrollment: 19,608
Founded: 1946
Chancellor: Dr. James H. Woodward
Athletic Director: Judy Rose
Web Site: www.uncc.edu
Athletic Web Site: www.charlotte49ers.com
Nickname: 49ers
Colors: Green (PMS 349) and White

Head Coaches Of Atlantic 10 Sports
Baseball: Loren Hibbs
Men's Basketball: Bobby Lutz
Women's Basketball: Katie Meier
Men's & Women's Cross Country: Brad Herbster
Men's Golf: Jamie Green
Men's Soccer: John Tart
Women's Soccer: Neil Roberts
Softball: Aimee DeVos
Men's Tennis: Jim Boykin
Women's Tennis: Michaela Quinn
Men's & Women's Track & Field: Robert Olesen
Women's Volleyball: Lisa Marston

Notes
* The University offers 82 programs leading to bachelor's degrees, 58 master's degree programs and 11 doctoral programs. Charlotte comprises seven colleges: Colleges of Arts and Sciences as well as six professional colleges: Architecture, Business Administration, Education, Engineering, Information Technology and Health and Human Services.

* The University is the fourth largest member of the University of North Carolina system with enrollment over 19,000 and expected to grow to 25,000 by 2010. It is the largest institution of higher education in the Charlotte region. It was founded in 1946 and received university status in 1965.

* The 49ers men's basketball team has been to nine NCAA Tournaments, including five in the last seven years. The 49ers advanced to the Final Four in 1977, with a team led by future Boston Celtic great Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell (who will have his No. 31 jersey retired by the Celtics this December).

* Eleven of the 49ers' 16 sports have been represented in NCAA Tournament competition since 1991 and nine sports have claimed conference championships since that time.

* Former 49ers in professional ranks include: Cedric Maxwell, Boston Celtics (retired); Rodney White, Denver Nuggets (current); Jon Busch, Columbus Crew, MLS (current); Chris Haney, Kansas City Royals (retired), Jason Stanford, Cleveland Indians (current); and Markita Aldridge, Washington Mystics, WNBA (retired).

* The 49ers' men's soccer team advanced to the NCAA National Semifinals in 1996 and was ranked in the nation's Top 10 in final polls in 1992 (seventh), 1994 (fourth) and 1996 (fifth).

* Women's soccer enjoyed an unbeaten regular-season in 2002 and earned a Top 10 ranking. With four league championships since 1995, the 49ers have boasted three all-Americans, including 2002 first team choice Courtney Crandell (now a sophomore on the team).

* Under second-year head coach Katie Meier, women's basketball won its first-ever Conference USA championship last year, and earned its first-ever NCAA bid.

* Charlotte has spent $40 million in facility upgrades over the last 10 years, completing construction on its 9,105-seat Halton Arena (men's and women's basketball; volleyball) in 1996 and its Belk Track and Field Center/Transamerica Soccer Field in 1996. In 2003, the 49ers completed construction of the Miltimore-Wallis Athletics Training and Academic Center. In 1994, the 49ers built the Wachovia Fieldhouse for their men's and women's soccer, baseball, and softball teams.

* The 49ers have hosted several national events, including the 1994 NCAA Men's Basketball Final Four; the 1996 NCAA Women's Basketball Final Four, the 1999 and 2000 NCAA Men's Soccer College Cup, the 1997 AAU Junior Olympics, as well as a number of other NCAA Tournament and conference championship events.

* Director of Athletics Judy Rose was just the third women named to head a Division I athletic program when she was promoted in 1991. Highly-respected, Rose is the first woman ever named to the NCAA Men's Basketball Committee (she is in her fifth and final year of serving on that committee). She is also president of the National Association of College Directors of Athletics (NACDA).

 

Charlotte 49ers Director of Athletics Judy Rose and Atlantic 10 Commissioner Linda Bruno at the 49ers press conference announcing their move to the A-10.

Charlotte 49ers Accept Invitation to Atlantic 10 Conference,
Move From Conference USA to Basketball-Rich League
From Charlotte49ers.com
November 10, 2003

Charlotte, N.C. - UNC Charlotte Chancellor Dr. James H. Woodward today announced that he has accepted an invitation for the Charlotte 49ers athletic program to compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference, a league rich in academic and athletic tradition. The 49ers make the move from Conference USA, which they have been a member of since 1995-96. The move to the Atlantic 10 will take place for the 2005-06 season.

"We have enjoyed being a part of Conference USA," Woodward said. "However, in many ways, the Atlantic 10 is the perfect fit for UNC Charlotte. The membership consists of very fine academic institutions; particular attention is given to basketball rather than football; and it's 'footprint' coincides very well with those states in which we attract the largest out-of-state students and in which many of our alumni live. We look forward to becoming a contributing and successful member of the Atlantic 10 in 2005."

"The Atlantic 10 provides our institution with a strong home for our athletics program and for our basketball teams, in particular," 49ers Director of Athletics Judy Rose said. "We are committed to growing our athletic department and recent developments changed the landscape in which we compete. The Atlantic 10 presents our department with an incredible opportunity -- not just an opportunity to move to an established basketball league, but the opportunity to be a part of a league that is as committed to basketball as we are."

League members are Dayton, Duquesne, Fordham, George Washington, LaSalle, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Richmond, St. Bonaventure, Saint Joseph's, Temple and Xavier. Saint Louis has been extended an invitation to become the league's 14th member.

"GW has always used its athletic successes to cast a spotlight on its academic excellence," said Stephen Joel Trachtenberg, president of The George Washington University and president of the Atlantic 10 Conference Presidents Council. "We believe that Charlotte is an institution cut from the same mold. Along with the other members, we are pleased and proud to welcome them to the Atlantic 10 family."

"Charlotte meets all of the goals our presidents and athletic directors established for expansion," said Atlantic 10 commissioner Linda Bruno. "Charlotte is an outstanding institution with a strong commitment to academic and athletic excellence. Their addition will make us better in many sports, particularly in men's basketball, which will further solidify the Atlantic 10 as one of the premier men's basketball conferences in the country. Charlotte is a very desirable market - one in which we previously had no presence. All these factors make Charlotte an excellent addition to the Atlantic 10."

The Atlantic 10 was rated #9 in the men's basketball Ratings Percentage Index (RPI), last year, slightly behind #8-rated Conference USA. Conference USA had eight league members rated in the RPI Top 100. The recent departure of other basketball powers Cincinnati, DePaul, Louisville, Marquette and South Florida and the arrival of five new members leaves C-USA with just three Top 100 programs. The Atlantic 10, on the other hand, would have eight institutions ranked in the RPI's Top 100, based on this past season. Seven of the proposed Atlantic 10's 14 members advanced to post-season play in men's basketball, last year, including three (Xavier, Dayton and Saint Joseph's) that received NCAA Tournament bids.

The move to the Atlantic 10 completes an incredible rise that the 49ers have enjoyed over the last 14 years. Charter members of the Sun Belt Conference in 1976, the 49ers remained with the league until 1991, when they joined the Metro Conference. In 1995, the 49ers helped form Conference USA, where they have been a member for the past eight years.

As a member of Conference USA, the 49ers have won 11 league championships, including men's basketball titles in 1999 and 2001. The 49ers have also been represented in NCAA Tournament competition 21 times since joining C-USA, including five NCAA trips in men's basketball. Of note, Charlotte was the first school to represent C-USA in final four action, when the men's soccer team reached the national semifinals in 1996.

Eleven of the 14 Atlantic 10 league members have been to the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament in the last 10 years. The Atlantic 10 also boasts a league in which all of its members have not only been but won at least one NCAA Tournament game. Eight Atlantic 10 schools have reached the Final Four and one (LaSalle) owns an NCAA Men's Basketball Championship.

 

I'm calling BS on this one. Isn't Trachenberg the same one that was dissing us earlier? I still hope we kick GW's ass!!

 

I just hope Trachtenburg comes to Halton on 11/21 so I can slap him in the face.

 

Off topic, but when did we change our official colors from green and gold...must've been some years ago (pre demarco?), but as a kid i distinctly remember the gold jerseys and the green-gold chant. It has since been replaced with the original green-white chant.

 

We lost WAY TOO MUCH in the gold jerseys. They were all gathered up and burned.

 

I hope this list isn't supposed to be complete. I can name several more MLB and NBA players. Stu Cole, Jeff Johnson, Sean Whiteside, Sean Colson, etc.