Athletics

Single game tickets for the Charlotte 49ers inaugural season of FBS and Conference USA football now are on sale. 

Charlotte 49ers offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Phil Ratliff is being remembered not only for his “loving spirit” but “the spectacular impact he made on others and his positive outlook on life.” He passed away, Sunday, Aug. 9.

Ratliff, who was entering his fourth season with the 49ers, joined the program in January 2012, as Charlotte welcomed its first recruiting class. He was on the sidelines for the Charlotte 49ers in 2013 and 2014 and helped the 49ers prepare for the 2015 season as the team makes its debut in the FBS as a member of Conference USA.

Charlotte 49ers football will make the move to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) this fall as the team enters Conference USA competition. Fans can be part of the game-day atmosphere at Richardson Stadium as a host of ticket options are being offered.

The Charlotte 49ers will make their debut on the FBS level in front of a nationally-televised audience. Charlotte, which will make its move to the FBS as a member of Conference USA this fall, will have its season-opener at Georgia State broadcast on ESPNU.

“This is another great step for our program,” said 49ers head coach Brad Lambert. ”We’re excited to have our first game in the FBS on national television. This works out great for Niner Nation—for those who will make the trip to Atlanta and those who will catch us on ESPNU.”

The Charlotte 49ers will have three of its home games broadcast on the FOX and CBS family of networks, according to the preliminary Conference USA TV package, released recently.

The 49ers non-conference home game vs. Temple, Friday, Oct. 2, will be broadcast at 7 p.m. on the CBS Sports Network.  In addition, the 49ers home games vs. Marshall (Sat., Oct. 31) and UTSA (Sat., Nov. 14) will be broadcast on FOX network (to be determined).  Game times and networks for those games will be released 12 days prior to the game date.

 Former Charlotte 49ers defensive back Desmond Cooper has signed a contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars to become the first UNC Charlotte football player to sign an NFL contract.

 Cooper signed the contract shortly after the conclusion of the Jaguars two-day mini-camp.

Rising red-shirt junior defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi (Greensboro, N.C./Ragsdale High School) will receive the Jon Richardson Football Scholarship. He is the second recipient of the scholarship. Last year, center Thomas La Bianca was named as the inaugural recipient.

The scholarship, donated by Jerry and Rosalind Richardson in tribute to their son, is designated for a 49ers football player from North or South Carolina who best displays five characteristics intrinsic to the development of a successful student-athlete: hard work, harmony, teamwork, listening and respect.

Charlotte 49ers will host Homecoming this fall on Saturday, Oct. 24, in Richardson Stadium, against Conference USA opponent University of Southern Mississippi. This will be the 49ers’ first Homecoming date against a conference rival.

Southern Miss holds the Conference USA record with five league titles. In fact, the Golden Eagles shared the first-ever C-USA title with Houston in 1996. Their most recent league championship came in 2011. Southern Miss has produced such NFL greats as Brett Favre and Ray Guy.

Fans of the Charlotte 49ers will have several opportunities to meet coaches Brad Lambert, Mark Price and Cara Consuegra during the 2015 49ers Coaches Caravan.

Stops are scheduled in Raleigh on Thursday, April 30; Hendrick Motorsports in Concord on Thursday, May 14; and DB’s Tavern in the Ballantyne area on Wednesday, May 20.

The cost is $20 per person, per event. Register online.

For more information, call 704-687-4950.

The Charlotte 49ers football team played its third annual Green-White Spring Game Saturday evening — the first game held under the lights installed at Richardson Stadium earlier this year. 

“The lights were pretty cool,” said 49ers head coach Brad Lambert about the lights, which were turned as part of a halftime ceremony.   “That was a good time to do it as well because I didn’t want guys to slow down from the half. It was pretty cool for them.  It’s about as close you can get to a game for the guys and then we were under the lights.”