What ‘groundbreaking’ deal has Charlotte 49ers’ AD Mike Hill thrilled?
Conference USA’s efforts to raise its football profile went outside-the-box this week when the league announced a four-year television partnership with NFL Network. And the Charlotte 49ers’ athletics director couldn’t be happier about it.
“It’s groundbreaking for the league,” Mike Hill said. “Having a national television partner like the NFL Network gives tremendous exposure to our football programs, but also provides a cache for Conference USA that’s really strong.”
Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed. The NFL Network will show 10 Saturday afternoon C-USA games.
“The financial piece is important,” Hill said. “But as much as anything, the national exposure the league will get is every bit as important as that.”
Conference USA already has media rights deals with CBS Sports Network, Stadium, Facebook and ESPN’s streaming services.
“While exploring new media options for football, NFL Network stood out as an excellent opportunity for national exposure,” C-USA commissioner Judy MacLeod said in a statement. “We look forward to showcasing our conference through their tremendous platform and reach.”
49ers notes
▪ Game times for Charlotte’s six home football games were announced Tuesday (they’re still subject to change). Each of the 49ers’ four home C-USA games will have a 3:30 p.m. start time, one of college football’s prime television windows.
The season opener against Gardner-Webb on Aug. 29 will be at 7:30 p.m., and the Sept. 14 game against Massachusetts will kick off at 6 p.m. Charlotte’s home league games are against Florida Atlantic (Sept. 28), North Texas (Oct. 26), Middle Tennessee (Nov. 2) and Marshall (Nov. 23).
▪ Hill confirmed that the men’s basketball team will begin a two-year, home-and-home series with East Carolina next season in Greenville, N.C., which was first reported by The D1 Docket. The 49ers also recently signed a four-year contract with Appalachian State.
▪ After sweeping the Conference USA men’s and women’s track championships at Charlotte’s Belk Track and Field Center earlier this month, the 49ers are sending 20 athletes to this week’s NCAA East Preliminaries in Jacksonville, Fla.
▪ Hill said the search for a new softball coach is well underway. Longtime coach Aimee DeVos was fired last week after the 49ers went 15-35. DeVos’ teams were 630-711-12 in her 25 years as coach.
It’s the fourth coaching change in Hill’s first 14 months as athletics director at Charlotte. He also fired former interim men’s basketball coach Houston Fancher and former football coach Brad Lambert. Women’s tennis coach Michaela Gorman resigned in June 2018.
“We’re in the competition game, it’s what we do,” Hill said. “They expectation is that if we sponsor a sport, we intend to be highly competitive in that sport. There are no built-in excuses for us to struggle in any sport we sponsor.
“If we accept mediocrity and the ordinary, I’m not sure why we’re doing what we’re doing.”
This story was originally published May 21, 2019 at 4:23 PM.