Charlotte 49ers, Appalachian State to renew football rivalry

The Charlotte 49ers and Appalachian State will renew their burgeoning football rivalry with a four-game series beginning in 2026.

The 49ers and Mountaineers – who are in the midst of a two-game series that concludes next season — will play again against each other in 2026 in Boone’s Kidd Brewer Stadium.

That will be followed by games at the 49ers’ Richardson Stadium in 2027; then back to Boone in 2028; Boone, with the 2029 match-up returning to Charlotte.

“This is such a natural rivalry, and I am excited for our program to be able to compete against App on a more regular basis,” 49ers athletics director Mike Hill said in a statement. “We would have liked to have started the series sooner, but several long-term contracts on both sides prevented us from doing so. We are looking forward to our trip to Boone this fall as well as this future rivalry series.”

The 49ers and Mountaineers played last season for the first time, a 45-9 Appalachian victory in front of a Richardson Stadium record-crowd of 19,151. They will play again in Boone on Sept. 7.

“I’m excited about playing football against another in-state school,” Mountaineers athletics director Doug Gillin said in a statement. “Regional games make sense. It’s great for college football, great for our state, and great for both fan bases to be able to travel to a game within two hours, home or away.”

Charlotte opens its season Aug. 31 at home against Gardner-Webb before playing Appalachian State the next week. The Mountaineers open Aug. 31 at home against East Tennessee State.