The dream is over. The small window that existed to hike student fees and start a football team as opposed to hike student fees and not have football has closed. UNCC will almost certainly have to increase student fees — the primary funding source for existing athletic programs — in the next year or two. Once that happens, hiking them again to pay for football will be a non-starter.
The root cause of UNCC’s poor fiscal situation is its affiliation with the A10. AD Judy Rose freaked and jumped into the arms of exactly the wrong conference for Charlotte’s growing campus. How Rose continues to escape criticism on this point is a great CLT media mystery. But at least MeckDeck readers have known the truth lo these many years.
Along those lines, UNCC football now mostly serves Rose and Phil Dubois as a handy distraction away from sad state of men’s basketball, the 49ers lone “revenue” sport. Remember Bobby Lutz going “all in” in advance of another dismal 11-20 season? Didn’t think so. UNCC has not been to the NCAAs in five years and has had losing records in 2 of the past 3 seasons. Fans are pretty much banking on a return to the tourney based on a couple decent recruiting classes by Lutz. But should these expectations be dashed by a tough A10 sked, look out below.
