J.C. Smith added to football schedule

UPDATE

The 49ers have wrapped up their 2014 football schedule with a home game against Mecklenburg County rival Johnson C. Smith.

The 49ers and Golden Bulls will also play Sept. 6, 2014 at Charlotte; they will also play on Sept. 19, 2015, also at Charlotte.

The 49ers had to reschedule two games in 2014 to make room for Smith: Charlotte will open the season at Campbell on Aug. 28 (a Thursday night) and will host Old Dominion on Sept. 20.

So here's a look at the completed 2013 and '14 schedules.

2013

Aug. 31: Campbell (FCS, Pioneer)
Sept. 7: Chowan (DII, CIAA)
Sept. 14: N.C. Central (FCS, MEAC)
Sept. 21: at Old Dominion (FCS, CAA)
Sept. 28: at Presbyterian (FCS, Big South)
Oct. 5: Gardner-Webb (FCS, Big South)
Oct. 12: UNC Pembroke (DII, independent)
Oct. 26: at Charleston Southern (FCS, Big South)
Nov. 2: at Coastal Carolina (FCS, Big South)
Nov. 9: North Greenville (DII, independent)
Nov. 23: at Morehead State (FCS, Pioneer)

2014

Aug. 28: at Campbell (FCS, Pioneer)
Sept. 6: Johnson C. Smith (DII, CIAA)

Sept. 13: at N.C. Central (FCS, MEAC)
Sept. 20: Old Dominion (FCS, CAA)

Sept. 27: Charleston Southern (FCS, Big South)
Oct. 4: at Gardner-Webb (FCS, Big South)
Oct. 11: at The Citadel (FCS, Southern)
Oct. 25: Georgia Southern (FCS, Southern)
Nov. 1: at Western Carolina (FCS, Southern)
Nov. 8: Coastal Carolina (FCS, Big South)
Nov. 15: at Furman (FCS, Southern)
Nov. 22: Morehead State (FCS, Pioneer)

And here's what we know about schedules beyond that:
2015: Johnson C. Smith (TBA), Western Carolina (TBA), Presbyterian (Sept. 12), at Georgia Southern (Sept. 26).
2016: at Richmond (Sept. 10).
2017: Richmond (Sept. 9)

Then there are the games against FBS opponents. Charlotte will play at Virginia Tech in 2019 and the 49ers have been negotiating with Tennessee, as well.

-- The 2014 schedule is a challenging one for any FCS program, let alone one that will be in its second-season of existence. Johnson C. Smith will be the only DII team on the schedule (three are on the '13 schedule) and the 49ers will face four Southern Conference teams, including perennial national powers Georgia Southern and Furman, as well as the CAA's Old Dominion, which is in the FCS playoffs this season.

-- And if you think that building a program needs to take several years, think again. Old Dominion, in just its third year of existence, will face Georgia Southern on Saturday in a second-round FCS playoff game. The Monarchs (10-2) finished tied for second in the Colonial Athletic Association. ODU is 27-7 in its three seasons, playing schedules similar in scope to Charlotte's (although the 49ers' second-season schedule appears to be tougher than what the Monarchs faced in 2010).

Coastal Carolina, whom the 49ers play in '13 and '14, started football in 2003 and has already made two playoff appearances ('06 and '10).

-- And there will be nothing easy about the '13 game against North Greenville. The Crusaders are in the Division II quarterfinals this week, playing Delta (Miss.) State.