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It is one thing to approve the creation of a football program at UNC Charlotte, which the school's board of trustees did Thursday morning.
It is another thing to create the program.
That multi-layered effort, which is still being formulated, will begin immediately with the goal of fielding a 49ers football team in the 2013 season.
At this point, there are more questions than answers. Among the major challenges facing the school and its athletic program are:
THE TIMELINE: If everything falls into place, Charlotte could be playing football as a Football Championship Subdivision program (formerly Division I-AA) in five years.
For that to happen, many other elements must fall into place. Money, millions of dollars, must be raised. Tickets must be sold. A staff must be hired. Facilities must be addressed. Players must be recruited.
CAN THE SCHOOL AFFORD IT? Creating a football program is the most expensive undertaking in college sports.
In Charlotte's case, it means starting from scratch because there is no on-campus stadium where the team could play.
The cost of an on-campus stadium with a fieldhouse, offices and other facilities is estimated to cost $45.3 million.
The fund-raising campaign will begin in the midst of a severe economic downturn that could affect when the program begins. Developing economic support from corporate Charlotte will be vital.
“It will take time,” said Mac Everett, chairman of the UNC Charlotte Foundation and head of the football feasibility committee. “I don't think you just walk in with a new program and expect to be given huge support, particularly financial support.
“The economy may slow the process, but it won't dampen the enthusiasm.”
WHERE WOULD THE 49ERS PLAY? Ideally, the program will play on campus and Chancellor Phillip Dubois has identified a site where a stadium would be built.
However, it is impractical, perhaps impossible, to have a new stadium in five years when the program intends to begin play. Athletics director Judy Rose said there are state laws that will slow the process. Additionally, funding must be acquired.
“We're looking at both short-term and long-term plans for where we would play,” Rose said. “The economy is an issue and it could make us move the (starting) date back.”
Rose said there have been discussions about Charlotte using an upgraded Memorial Stadium. She said there have been discussions with city and county officials about the stadium, particularly if a new uptown high school is built.
Memorial Stadium would also be near the 120,000-square foot uptown campus UNC Charlotte will open in 2010.
“One of the keys with this is flexibility and adaptability,” Everett said. “Playing in an upgraded Memorial Stadium lets it get started.”
WHAT ABOUT TICKET SALES AND FSLs? When the chancellor endorsed the idea of creating a football program in September, he challenged the athletic department and alumni to get 5,000 commitments for what are being called Forty-Niner Seat Licenses at $1,000 apiece.
That would mean a $5million commitment toward the program.
As of Thursday, 4,167 seat licenses had been reserved, though no money has been accepted. Of those, 1,168 came from people who have not previously donated money to the school or its athletic program.
It puts the ticket program more than 80 percent toward the goal DuBois established, with six months remaining in the initial sales drive.
WHAT LEAGUE WOULD CHARLOTTE BE PART OF? The program would be required to play on the FCS level for a minimum of two years before moving to the Football Bowl Subdivision level (formerly Division I-A). Dubois has said the program would be on the FCS level indefinitely rather than set a hard timeline for advancing to the higher level.
Rose said she will consult with other leagues, including the Colonial League where fellow Atlantic-10 members Massachusetts and Rhode Island are football members.
