Charlotte 49ers/Athletics

The Charlotte 49ers Department of Athletics provides competition in 18 intercollegiate varsity sports for men and women.  Each sport competes under the governing powers of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level, which is the highest competitive level for collegiate varsity sports.  Scholarships are available for all varsity sports, male and female.

Male student-athletes compete in nine sports:  baseball, basketball, cross-country, football, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field.  Female student-athletes compete in nine sports:  basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, volleyball, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field. 

The Charlotte 49ers are affiliated with Conference USA with play in the league beginning during the 2013-14 season.  Conference USA is comprised of 14 schools: UNC Charlotte, UAB, Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Mississippi, UTEP, UTSA, and Western Kentucky.  Conference USA tournament champions in baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, golf, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and volleyball receive automatic bids to the NCAA post-season tournaments.  Bowl bids are available to Conference USA schools in football.

Facilities

On-campus facilities play host to Charlotte 49ers athletics, with the exception of golf and cross-country.  Sites for home competition for the 49ers include:

• McColl-Richardson Field at Jerry Richardson Stadium (football)
• Halton Arena (basketball and volleyball)
• Irwin Belk Center and Transamerica Field (soccer and track and field)
• Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex (tennis)
• Robert and Mariam Hayes Stadium (baseball)
• Sue M. Daughtridge Stadium at Phillips Complex (softball)

For more information about the Charlotte 49ers, please visit Charlotte49ers.com. 

UNC Charlotte students receive FREE ADMISSION to all regular-season home athletic contests.   For all events, students gain admission with a valid UNC Charlotte student ID.

University Recreation

University Recreation is part of UNC Charlotte’s health and well-being initiative, along with the Center for Wellness Promotion, the Student Health Center, and Center for Counseling and Psychological Services.  Together, they are committed to fostering the holistic well-being of students by providing collaborative care and support.  The campus community is empowered and engaged through services, education, activities, and facilities that promote healthy living.

University Recreation develops and conducts programs and services that provide opportunities for University students, faculty/staff members, and alumni to participate in recreational activities.  Intramural Sports are scheduled throughout the year in both tournament and league formats for individuals, pairs, and teams.  Sport Clubs provide an opportunity to participate in a single sport on a continuing basis.  Approximately forty clubs, ranging from equestrian to lacrosse to tennis, are active each semester.  Fitness opportunities include Group Fitness classes like Zumba, Cycling, Yoga, and Barre. Strength Training and Conditioning including weights, cardio and functional training equipment is available for drop-in fitness and Personal Training is also available.  The Aquatics program offers competitive log rolling, open swim, instructional swim, and water safety courses.  Three major Special Events are offered each year: RecFest, the 49er Gold Rush 5K, and the On the Green Golf Tournament.  These special events are open to the extended campus community and involve food, games, prizes, entertainment, and competition.  In addition to structured sports programs, the department promotes the concept of informal use of recreational facilities through the Open Recreation Program (i.e., pick-up basketball and volleyball).  University Recreation hires hundreds of students each year for jobs such as sport officials, group fitness instructors, personal trainers, lifeguards, patron services assistants, fitness specialists, student supervisors office assistants, marketing assistants, and more.  For additional information, visit urec.uncc.edu.

Recreational Facilities

Indoor Facilities

University Recreation Center

The University Recreation Center, also known as UREC, is a five-story, 148,000 square foot space dedicated to student recreation and fitness.  The facility features four multipurpose courts for basketball, volleyball, badminton, and pickleball; outdoor basketball, pickleball, and sand volleyball courts; indoor and outdoor leisure pools featuring a vortex loop, 4 lanes for lap swimming (25 yards), and zero depth entry; over 30,000 square feet of dedicated fitness space of cardio and strength training equipment on multiple levels; five multipurpose and group fitness studios including one for cycling; a personal training assessment room; a demo kitchen; an elevated track; an indoor turf area; locker rooms on the 1st and 3rd floor including 4 single use accessible locker/changing rooms; and three outdoor terraces with beautiful views of the campus.  

At UREC, the mission is to engage the University community through recreational programs, activities, and facilities, and this facility is designed to do just that, by encouraging patrons to lead a healthy and active lifestyle!

Belk Gymnasium

The Belk Gymnasium serves as the primary auxiliary space for indoor recreation, and features multipurpose courts for basketball, volleyball, and badminton; an indoor swimming pool; two racquetball courts; a group fitness studio; and lockers for students, faculty, and staff.  It also houses newly renovated classrooms and an auditorium for meetings and presentations. 

Student Activity Center

The James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center (SAC) is a multi-purpose facility designed to meet the diverse social, cultural, and recreational needs of students at UNC Charlotte.  The SAC is home to the Halton Arena, a 9,000 seat venue hosting athletic events, concerts, lectures, and a variety of other University functions.

Retractable seating in the area folds back to reveal an indoor climbing wall and four recreational courts that may be used for Intramural Sports, Sports Clubs, or for special events including job fairs, trade shows, etc.  In addition to recreational offerings, the SAC also serves as a meeting place for students and the campus community.  The third floor of the SAC consists of a large and gracious hospitality area that can be subdivided into five separate meeting salons.  Adjacent to the hospitality area is a campus catering kitchen, serving the special events in the SAC as well as other campus events.   

Outdoor Facilities

Northeast Recreational Field Complex (NRFC)

The Northeast Rec Field Complex or NRFC, features over 21-acres of synthetic turf fields for soccer, football and softball with lights for night-time use.  NRFC is home to several intramural sports as well as open recreation opportunities, and can be used for sport clubs and special events.

Hayes Recreational Field Complex

Located off Phillips Road above the Wells Fargo Field House, the Hayes Rec Field Complex is home to three Rec Services fields - two are natural grass (Fields 11 and 12) and one (Field 13) is synthetic turf.  All fields are fenced-in and lighted for night-time use.  These fields are the home of many Sport Clubs, but are also available for Open Recreation.

C.O.R.E.

The Callisthenic Outdoor Recreation Equipment (C.O.R.E.), is conveniently located adjacent to the on-campus greenway and near Belk Residence Hall.  The equipment (i.e., pull up, parallel, and dip bars, ab benches, and more) is diverse in what it can bring to your outdoor workout experience.  The C.O.R.E. was made possible through a partnership with UREC and the Levine Scholars Program.