Athletics

Francis “Biff” Poggi is the Charlotte 49ers’ third head football coach. Most recently, he was associate head coach of the undefeated Michigan Wolverines. A key architect behind the Wolverines’ 2021 Big Ten Championship and berth in the College Football Playoffs, Poggi has helped Michigan to a 10-0 start and a spot among the nation’s top four ranked schools this season.

The second class elected to the Charlotte 49ers Athletics Hall of Fame includes three legends from the men’s basketball program, the school’s first women’s basketball All-America as well as a pair of alums whose long-standing support has helped build the department’s very foundation.

Retired Charlotte 49ers men’s tennis coach Jim Boykin was inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame. Boykin, who came to the Queen City in 1993, amassed 200 career victories, before stepping away from the program following the 2010 dual match season.

Single-game tickets for the 2022 Charlotte 49ers football season are on sale now and can be purchased online or by calling the 49ers Ticket Office at 704-687-4949.

Former Charlotte 49ers star Brandt Bronico ’17 is making his mark as part of the starting lineup for Charlotte FC’s inaugural season.

Thanks to the strong support of Niner Nation, the Charlotte 49ers Athletic Foundation raised a record $2.257 million toward its annual fund, an increase of more than $600,000 from the 2020-21 campaign and approximately $235,000 over its goal of $2.022 million.

This is the fourth consecutive year that the Athletic Foundation has reported an increase in annual fund dollars. In addition, the 49er Club membership exceeded 2,200 individuals, a leap of more than 600 new members from 2021.

Clare Short has been named the first head coach to lead the new Charlotte 49ers women’s lacrosse program. Short brings more than 10 years of experience, including the last six seasons as head coach at Queens University of Charlotte, multiple trips to the NCAA Division II Final Four and numerous regular season and tournament conference championships to the 49ers.

The Charlotte 49ers Athletics Department has announced its EverGreen Athletics Facilities Master Vision, which will integrate into UNC Charlotte’s overall campus master plan that is being updated. EverGreen includes substantial upgrades to existing facilities as well as the construction of new spaces to enhance the overall development of its entire program. 

Two-time Big South Coach of the Year Brandi Fontaine is the 49ers’ women’s soccer coach. Fontaine, who led High Point University to unprecedented heights in four seasons as head coach, becomes the fifth head coach for the 49ers’ women’s soccer program.

Charlotte 49ers will add women’s lacrosse, the fastest-growing sport on college campuses, as its newest sport with competition expected to begin with the 2024-25 academic year.

“We can’t wait to start competing in this exciting sport and are committed to building for success,” said 49ers Director of Athletics Mike Hill. “We were very deliberate in selecting women’s lacrosse because of its explosive growth and popularity locally, regionally and nationally. Fans will love watching the Niners lacrosse team play.”