A few 49ers thoughts and notes after being away for a week:
-- As the 49ers continue to roll out opponents for the first football season of 2013, don't expect the names to get too big. There will be no "guarantee" road games at big-time FBS teams that season, or for 2014, for that matter. So if you're hearing that Charlotte will play at places like Tennessee, Georgia or Virginia Tech, don't believe it.
Games like that (in which teams like Charlotte can be paid as much as $400,000) might come later, in fact they most certainly will. But not in the first two seasons. 49ers officials think Georgia State is crazy for playing Alabama in November in the final game of the Panthers' first season.
Most first-year programs aren't playing guarantee games, at least not for a while. South Alabama, which is playing its first full season of football this year, will play teams like LSU, Oklahoma State and Navy in the future.
Last week's news that the 49ers will play Gardner-Webb brings to four the number of games scheduled for the first football season. All four teams -- the Bulldogs, Charleston Southern, Morehead State and Campbell -- are NCAA Football Championship Subdivision teams (the latter two non-scholarship Pioneer League programs).
-- While we're on football, let's put some early pressure on that first team. Georgia State, which is 5-2 already, has beaten Morehead State and Campbell, so why shouldn't the 49ers be able to do that?
-- The men's basketball program got good news last week when guard Charles Dewhurst's return to the team was finalized. Dewhurst, who graduated in May, has another year of eligibity left and is in grad school at UNCC this year.
Dewhurst was behind the rest of the team in his conditioning and early knowledge of new coach Alan Major's system. Major had to be convinced that Dewhurst was back in shape and was picking up the new system before adding him to the roster.
The basketball teams began practice on Friday. It's media day on Tuesday and "Major Madness" is Thursday at 9 p.m. at Halton Arena. And Fan Day is at 3 p.m. Saturday.
-- This is shaping up to be a memorable year for the 49ers' men's and women's soccer teams. The men (9-4, 4-0) are in first place in the Atlantic 10 and the women (12-4, 5-1) trail only Dayton in the league standings.
Andres Cuero continues to shine for the men, who are ranked 23rd in this week's NSCAA poll. He's the A-10's player of the week, thanks to game-winning goals against George Washington and Richmond last week. He's been clutch all season: He had a game-winner against Clemson earlier.
The 49ers, who finish their regular season with five consecutive home games (beginning Friday against Saint Louis) have positioned themselves well. A quick start in the league was crucial because only six teams of the league's 14 teams qualify for the conference tournament, which is scheduled for Nov. 11-12 and 14 at Charlotte's Transamerica Field.
-- Things are going nearly as well for coach John Cullen's women's team. It's too bad the 49ers don't face Dayton in the regular-season, though. That will have to wait for the league tournament the first week of November at Rhode Island.
Whitney Weinraub, who isn't having her best season statistically, finally tied the school goals record when she scored the 36th of her career last week against George Washington. She can break the record Saturday against Saint Louis at Transamerica Field.
-- Baseball's Green team took a 2-1 lead on the White team in the 49ers' fall practice "World Series" last weekend. Games 4 and 5 are this coming weekend, which will complete fall practice. The 49ers had to practice for a while at North Mecklenburg High while reseeding took place at Hayes Stadium.
Highlights of Charlotte's fall classic: Corey Shaylor and Ross Steedley had RBI singles in the Green's 3-0 victory in Game 1; freshman Tyler Barnette (who was drafted by the Boston Red Sox but elected to play for the 49ers, allowed one run on six hits and three strikeouts in 4.2 innings for the Whites in Game 2; Jim Lyerly's RBI single won Game 3 for the Greens.
Monday, October 18, 2010
'Guarantee' game not happening
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8 comments:
I suppose that it's good news we don't NEED to play a money game in 13 or 14. Means the funding model for scholarships must look pretty good.
Great news on Dewhurst!!! We NEED him this year.
It's good we do not need the money but traveling to Knoxville or Athens would be lots of fun, at least until the opening kickoff.
worst decision so far in football.....terrible....no one expects anything year 1 or 2. Take the $$$ and run. Its win all the way around.
Thanks David. This is great to read. Wish we could more, more, more.
As for the guarantee game, I bet we will end up playing at least one. How about Appalachian State? We'll need the money.
App State would not be a money game. They're an FCS school too. App probably has razor thin profit margin for their football program. They play money games FOR money. They certainly don't host money games, at least not against other FCS opponents.
PLEASE!!!! GET SOMEONE IN THE 49ER OFFICE THAT KNOWS HOW TO RUN A FOOTBALL PROGRAM!!!!
ROSE MUST GO!!
How about we play Appalachian State at BOA Stadium and Panthers pay each of us a guarantee for the game? It's different. Of course, this city would have to get behind it and they already tie up much of the big money guys in the Bowl Game and the ACC Championship.
You never know.
This is the first stupid decision for the football program. Yes, Georgia State is going to lose to 'Bama 77-0, but the financial benefits far outweigh the game beating. And I don't believe for a second we don't need the money. EVERY startup program needs money. Unless the Levines have donated another $10 million that no one knows about, we absolutely need the money.
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