Athletics

The stakes will be huge when the Charlotte 49ers host the Georgia Bulldogs in a benefit exhibition basketball game at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 25, at Halton Arena.

Charlotte 49ers red-shirt senior Tyriq Harris) has been named a semifinalist for the 2019 William V. Campbell Trophy presented by Mazda. The award, given by the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame (NFF), recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.     

Niner Nation is gearing up for a spirit-filled Homecoming week, starting Sunday, Sept. 22. With all the events and programs scheduled, there is something for everyone—students, alumni, faculty and staff.

Football season is nearly here, and the Charlotte 49ers want faculty and staff to celebrate the start of the season with free tickets to the first Thursday night game in the program’s history. The 49ers will take on Gardner-Webb University at 7:30 p.m., Aug. 29, in Jerry Richardson Stadium. Athletics Director Mike Hill invites faculty and staff to watch the 49ers play under new Head Coach Will Healy and demonstrate that “We are all Niners.”

The Charlotte 49ers will start a pilot program that will allow the sale of alcohol on game days at Jerry Richardson Stadium during the 2019 season. Fan behavior and alcohol-related incidents will be closely monitored to ensure that the overall fan experience is not diminished due to excessive drinking. Pilot program conditions are:

Enjoy the game before the game with several tailgating options.

The Charlotte 49ers softball and women’s soccer teams were awarded the Conference USA Academic Awards for their respective sports for 2018-19. This award is given to the team in each conference-sponsored sport with the highest cumulative GPA for the academic year.

Fan Fest, a family-friendly event to kick off the Charlotte 49ers 2019 season, will be from 4 to 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 17, in Halton Arena.Student-athletes from the 49ers’ fall sports teams (cross country, football, men’s soccer, women’s soccer and volleyball) will be on hand to sign autographs. In addition, fans can meet 49ers’ coaches and staff members, and this will be the first chance for fans to get their 2019 schedule posters.Activities will include a Kids’ Fun Zone complete with inflatables, face painting, balloon artist and a Tap Snap digital photo booth.

It seems Darin Spease ’89, deputy athletics director for the Charlotte 49ers, was destined for a sports-focused life and career. Growing up, he played many different sports and knew he wanted to continue to be a player, in college and beyond, even if he wasn’t physically in the game. Now with 25-plus years in the field, no pun intended, he has made a career out of a passion.

Spease, who grew up in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, became a 49er to pursue an undergraduate education through the Belk College of Business. 

A school record three Charlotte 49ers were named preseason all-Conference USA by the league’s 14 head coaches. Sophomore kicker Jonathan Cruz was voted the league’s preseason Special Teams Player of the Year, and he, redshirt senior defensive end Alex Highsmith and senior running back Benny LeMay were named to the preseason all-Conference team.