A History of Football at Charlotte University: From Owls to 49ers
The Charlotte 49ers football program represents the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in college football. At the heart of every UNC Charlotte chant - FOR-TY! NI-NERS! - is a story of perseverance, grit and resilience. Charlotte athletics embodies that same pioneering spirit.
The Early Years: Laying the Foundation
UNC Charlotte began in 1946 as the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina, one of several sites established across the state to serve veterans returning from World War II. In 1946, 22 young men began practice as the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina Owl's first athletic program: a football team. The team played in its first three years of existence (1946-1948), but folded in 1949. The team finished the season 2-4, with wins over Pembroke State and Belmont Abbey, and losses to Davidson JV, Catawba College JV, and Clemson's "B" team. The team hosted 2 home games that year at American Legion Memorial Stadium. In part due to the effects of fewer World War II veterans entering college in the late 1940s, the football program ended after the 1948 season.
By 1949, the state decided these centers were no longer needed and moved to close them, but one woman, Bonnie Cone (affectionately known as Miss Bonnie) refused to let Charlotte’s promise fade. A gifted math teacher, she taught future naval officers at Duke University during World War II before returning home to lead the Charlotte Center. Miss Bonnie and a coalition of community supporters made the case that Charlotte needed public higher education. Their efforts saved the institution, and the center was renamed Charlotte College in 1949. Before 1961, the school played as the “Owls,” a nod to its origins as a night school.
The Evolution of an Identity: From Owls to 49ers
As the college evolved into a traditional campus, students voted in 1961 to officially adopt the “49ers” name. A visual identity shift followed: from maroon and gray to a brief blue and white era (1961-1965), then to the now-familiar green and white in 1965, with gold added in 1970. The official colors are green, white, and gold.
Fate added a few fitting flourishes. In 1965, the North Carolina Legislature voted 49-0 to transform Charlotte College into the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. A few years later, campus pride found a face. For the first three decades, the mascot was simply called the Forty-Niner.
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The Modern Era: A Program Reborn
On July 12, 2006, a group of 15 UNC Charlotte students and alumni held the inaugural Charlotte 49er Football Initiative (CFI) meeting. A student organization, Charlotte Football Advocates (later CFI Students), became a part of the larger CFI group during the fall of 2006. In February 2007, UNC Charlotte students voted overwhelmingly in favor of football in an official campus-wide vote and the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees voted to authorize $150,000 to study adding 49ers Football, and establishing a Football Feasibility Committee to be headed by outgoing board president and prominent Charlotte businessman Mac Everett. In December 2007, the Football Feasibility Committee voted unanimously to recommend the addition of 49ers football. Chancellor Dubois originally recommended that the university start Division I football at the FCS (formerly Division I-AA) level with no timeline to move up to FBS.
The UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees officially voted to add a football program on November 13, 2008, after a unanimous recommendation by the Football Feasibility Committee.
Football first appeared on campus in 1946, paused after two seasons, but returned in 2013 following robust student and alumni lobbying. The team played their first full season in the fall of 2013 as an FCS Independent.
On May 4, 2012 Charlotte agreed to rejoin Conference USA for all sports except football in 2013, with football joining in 2015 (the first year the 49ers would be eligible due to the NCAA requirement that start-up programs play a minimum of two years in FCS). The 49ers were founding members of C-USA from 1996 to 2005, but they did not compete in football during that time period. Charlotte moved to the FBS in 2015 and became FBS bowl eligible in 2016. The 49ers are a member of the FBS's American Athletic Conference since 2023. Before that they were members of Conference USA from 2015 to 2022, after they moved up a subdivision after two years as a Division I FCS independent.
Building a Home: Jerry Richardson Stadium
To generate financial support for the launch of the football program, Chancellor Dubois created a program called Forty Niner Seat Licenses, or FSLs, which essentially served as seat deposits for season tickets. The Chancellor initially set forth a goal of 5,000 FSL reservations within 6 months. In February 2008, a fundraising capital campaign was established and led by prominent community leaders. These leaders included Mac Everett, Johnny Harris and Gene Johnson. Seat licenses are being sold in three tiers of seating: Green, Gold and White Gold.
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Chancellor Dubois conducted a lengthy review process of the committee's results before making his final recommendation to the board of trustees. He presented the findings of his own internal review to the board at a June meeting which included estimates from stadium design firm Populous. The estimates significantly increased facilities construction numbers from the feasibility committee figures.
On February 12, 2010, the University of North Carolina's board of governors approved a debt service fee increase to fund the construction of the football stadium and football center, and on August 2, 2010 Governor Bev Perdue signed the debt service fee bill into law to clear the way for stadium construction.
Designed by the architecture teams of Jenkins-Peer Architects and the DLR Group, its location was shown near the campus entrance at Highway 29 north of Hayes Stadium. On April 28, 2011 Charlotte held a groundbreaking ceremony for the football stadium. The stadium was completed in summer 2012.
The largest crowd for a Charlotte football game at Jerry Richardson Stadium is 19,223, which was achieved on September 6, 2025, against North Carolina.
Traditions and Pride
The modern program’s launch introduced a new tradition: each game, the coaching staff selects one player to wear the No. 49 jersey, an honor reserved for a 49er who embodies effort, attitude and team-first leadership. Defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi wore No. 49 in the inaugural game on Aug. 31, 2013, later becoming the first 49er drafted into the NFL.
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Homecoming - a showcase of 49er pride - began with basketball in 1969. Since the return of 49ers football, Homecoming is the tradition uniting students, alumni, faculty and staff in celebration of a shared identity. As Homecoming evolved, UNC Charlotte introduced a new tradition in 2021: The Niner 9. Replacing the former king and queen model, The Niner 9 recognizes nine students who exemplify the University’s values and spirit across diverse disciplines and backgrounds.
Niner Nation Week: Homecoming is more than a celebration; it’s a living tribute to the resilience and ambition that have defined Charlotte from the start. Every time we chant FOR-TY!
Coaching Changes and Key Players
Charlotte fired Healy on October 23, 2022, after a 1-7 start to the season. Healy compiled a 15-24 record at the helm of the 49ers.
News was released on November 15, 2022 that Michigan associate head coach Francis "Biff" Poggi was named Charlotte's third head coach in the modern era. Poggi got his first win as an NCAA head coach against South Carolina St. Charlotte fired Poggi on November, 18 2024, after a 3-7 start to the season. Poggi compiled a 6-16 record at the helm of the 49ers.
Benny Lemay signed with the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2020.
Season Records
Since coming back as a program in 2013, the 49ers have had a Homecoming Game, generally held in the middle of the season.
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