Charlotte 49ers

Name The athletics department officially changed its name to simply Charlotte in 2000. Before then, the school's identity suffered from years of constant confusion, most commonly confused with the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Tar Heels). While UNCC and UNC Charlotte were the officially accepted athletic names, media outlets frequently used unofficial nicknames such as N.C.-Charlotte, N.C.-Char, North Carolina-Charlotte, UNC, UNC-C, UNCC at Charlotte, and others. When the name change was made official, Athletics Director Judy Rose summarized the sentiment that drove the name change: While the school's legal name remains the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, it changed its academic brand name in 2021 to simply "Charlotte". Nickname The nickname "49ers" derives from the fact that the university's predecessor—Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina (CCUNC – established in 1946) was saved from being shut down by the state in 1949 by Bonnie Cone, when CCUNC became Charlotte College. Due to this "49er spirit" that Cone felt embodied the university, referring to the settlers that endured much hardships in traveling across the United States to seek fortune in the California Gold Rush, students of the fledgling UNC Charlotte chose "49ers" as the school's mascot. The name is also a nod to Charlotte’s gold mining past during the Carolina gold rush. The fact that the University's Main Campus front entrance is located on North Carolina Highway 49 is pure coincidence. Prior to the "49ers" moniker, the athletic teams were known as the "Owls" due to CCUNC's beginnings as a night school. Logo The primary athletics logo, called the "All-In C", contains a pick-axe, a reference to the Gold Rush, inside a stylized block C placed at a 9° angle. According to the university, this signifies "positive energy and forward momentum". Conference affiliations Conference realignment Charlotte began regular intercollegiate athletics play as an inaugural member in the NAIA's Dixie Conference in 1962. After spending their first five seasons in the NCAA's Division I as an independent, UNC Charlotte became a charter member of the Sun Belt Conference in 1976. They would later join the Metro Conference in 1991, before becoming a founding member of Conference USA in 1995 when the Metro merged with the Great Midwest Conference. Despite a popular and competitive Conference USA in which UNC Charlotte enjoyed rivalries with the likes of Memphis, Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette, and others, the collegiate sports landscape underwent a major restructuring in 2004–2005. C-USA took the most serious hit of any conference, losing many of its most successful members, including Charlotte. After this dramatic reshuffle, UNC Charlotte received an invitation to join the Atlantic 10 Conference, which it accepted. Upon joining the A-10, Charlotte experienced much success in nearly every category with the exception of the signature sport of men's basketball. With the football program restarting, and an attempt to restore geographic rivalries, UNC Charlotte returned to a revised Conference USA starting with the 2013–2014 academic season, except for football, where they joined in 2015, and was fully eligible in 2016. On October 21, 2021, Charlotte was accepted along with 5 other Conference USA teams to join the American Conference (then known as the American Athletic Conference), joining former Metro Conference and CUSA rivals there. The 2023 entry date was officially confirmed in June 2022. All Charlotte 49ers programs officially made the transition to the American on July 1, 2023. Conference membership • Dixie Conference (NAIA, 1965–1970) • NCAA Division I Independent (1970–1976) • Sun Belt Conference (1976–1991) • Metro Conference (1991–1995) • Conference USA (1995–2005) • Atlantic 10 Conference (2005–2013) • Conference USA (2013–2023, football 2015–2023) • American Conference (2022–present in men's soccer; 2023 for other sports) == Sports sponsored ==