News-Record.com

Friday and Spangler did more to pudh the football movement forward than to slow it down. When one parent (also a University faculty member) asked if their child should transfer from UNC Charlotte because he wants a college football experience, Spangler responded that this was the reason we had Chapel Hill and NC State (which drew gasps/groans from the audience).

Obviously time has passed these two by. They've certainly done nothing for to help matters at the Charlotte campus, UNC Charlotte is the state's fourth largest campus but ranks 13th in overall funding. Projections show 35,000 students attending by 2020.

Will it take money? Yes, but the students have voted to increase their student fees for a football team, which would cover the cost of funding a progam, but not the extra costs, which would come from increased donations and game revenues.

One of the arguments has been that football would decrease donations to the academic side. Not the case, those that wish to contribute to a football program likely are not contributing to academics and vice versa. If anything, this would benefit both sides.

By the way, the correct term is UNC Charlotte without the hyphen. UNC-Chapel Hill is the ONLY institution using the hyphen. See http://www.northcarolina.edu/content.php/campus/campusmap.htm.

Thanks for your comment, Mr. Robertson.
On the hyphen, you make a good point. The News & Record's internal stylebook still calls for one, but I 'll pass your note on to our style gurus.
Seems we may be in need of an update.

Perhaps App. St. should disband their football team to focus on academics. Such stupid comments from men who used to be relevant.

Perhaps App. St. should disband their football team to focus on academics. Such stupid comments from men who used to be relevant.

Perhaps App. St. should disband their football team to focus on academics. Such stupid comments from men who used to be relevant.

Charlotte WILL play football.

Period.

It's inevitable, as the push for the sport has grown so rapidly and continues to pick up steam. It's certainly nice of these two fellows to offer their opinions, but it would be even nicer if these gentlemen and their opinions held any TRUE relevance to Charlotte or showed any sort of concern for the interests of those NOT in Chapel Hill.

Better get your coal-shovelin' hats on, Spangler and Friday, 'cause this train can't be stopped.

Football would enhance the University as well as the community in Charlotte. I am from Greensboro and attended Charlotte and adding football would increase school spirit and excitement. The school is an excellent academic institution and adding football would only help in that cause.
Now only if they can change the school name to Charlotte University and add football, those elitist in Chapel Hill would flip their lid.

Thank you for your support of the UNC Charlotte football initiative. It is great to see such positive coverage of a growing movement. I wish the N&R would cover 49er athletics and UNC Charlotte in general more often. It is a growing university with a good number of alumni in the Triad including myself. The two former UNC Presidents that spoke with our faculty did a great service in further energizing our movement toward football and creating a better identity for our university. I think it is time that some folks realize our university system has much more to offer than just UNC Chapel Hill and N.C. State. This is not 1960. Thanks again Mr. Johnson

My pleasure, Jean.

I doubt, however, that we'll do a whole lot with UNC Charlotte athletics on our sports pages because it's not in our readership area.

That's the same reason the Observer doesn't do a lot with UNC Greensboro sports.

But I wish Charlotte well in its quest for football.

Thank you for your interest and coverage of The University of Charlotte.. You may be surprised to learn there are over 12,300 Charlotte alums living in Guilford, Alamance and Forsyth Counties. This number doesn't include current students and their families. I wonder how these numbers compare with the schools your paper chooses to cover.

Thank you for your interest and coverage of The University of Charlotte.. You may be surprised to learn there are over 12,300 Charlotte alums living in Guilford, Alamance and Forsyth Counties. This number doesn't include current students and their families. I wonder how these numbers compare with the schools your paper chooses to cover.

Thank you for your interest and coverage of The University of Charlotte.. You may be surprised to learn there are over 12,300 Charlotte alums living in Guilford, Alamance and Forsyth Counties. This number doesn't include current students and their families. I wonder how these numbers compare with the schools your paper chooses to cover.

I see your point. But as a former sports editor, I can tell you, balancing the coverage of several hometown schools with coverage of one in Charlotte would be tough, given our space and our resources.

Would we also be expected to cover Davidson?

But I'm speaking out of turn. This question is better addressed to our sports editor, Joe Sirera.

Thanks for your comments Mr. Johnson. Perhaps you can be a guest of our family at a Charlotte football game in the future. I understand your papers area but never hurts to ask. By the way the person that got the entire football initiative rolling is from Winston-Salem. Thanks again for the support.