Forum Notes

Scheduling:

Charlotte has scheduled their first FBS opponent--the Virginia Tech Hokies--for the first game of the 2019 season in Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, VA.

Earlier in the day, the 49ers announced three more home games for the 2013 season against UNC Pembroke, North Greenville and Chowan. Charlotte added a two-year contract with the Furman Paladins on Tuesday with the first game of the series coming in Greenville on Nov. 15, 2014. Charlotte has just one game left to schedule for 2013.

Other notes:

-Athletics Director Judy Rose said she has had contact with three FCS conferences recently; the Colonial Athletic Association, Big South and Southern Conference. When Charlotte does join a conference, Rose said she hopes to keep all other sports in the Atlantic 10. New football programs must play FCS football for at least two years, and Chancellor Phil Dubois said the 49ers will likely wait much longer than that to move to FBS.

"I don't want to sacrifice our freshman to a bunch of meat-eaters," Dubois said.

-Rose hopes to have a coach in place by April 1, just 27 days before the official groundbreaking on the stadium at 3:30 that day with a tailgate party to follow. The 49ers will play all games in the afternoon--at least at first--because lights for the stadium aren't yet in the budget. They would cost about $800,000.

-The initial stadium will have around a 15,300 capacity with the possibility to expand to 40,000 seats in the distant future. Rose said 7,000 seats will be reserved for student seating. Dubois said the capacity would stay at 15,000 for "a while" based on what other FCS programs average for attendance--around 7,500.

-Dubois said the team wouldn't entertain the idea of playing games in Bank of America stadium but that Carolina Panthers' President Danny Morrison had visited him, letting him know that the 49ers are always welcome at B of A. Dubois also noted that the stadium might be used for high school football games and that there is a chance he might pursue having the Shrine Bowl there.

-Plans for a marching band aren't in the cards for the time being, either. Rose noted that a traditional marching band costs around $250,000 annually and that the budget won't allow it imediately.