Charlotte, N.C. -- The Charlotte 49ers will break ground on their on-campus football stadium, Apr. 28 at 3:30 p.m.  Tailgating for the event will begin at 1:00. and the groundbreaking ceremony will be followed by a Tailgate Reception from 4:00-6:00 p.m.  The groundbreaking activities, which are open to the public, will take place at the stadium site near the Highway 29 entrance on the north side of the campus, between Grigg Hall and Robert & Mariam Hayes Baseball Stadium. UNC Charlotte's recreational services is also sponsoring a "rec" the fields event from 4:30-8:00 p.m. that will feature volleyball, kickball, slip and slides and a dunking booth.

            UNC Charlotte Chancellor Dr. Philip Dubois, Board of Trustee Chair and UNC Charlotte alum Gene Johnson, Director of Athletics Judy Rose, Head Football Coach Brad Lambert, Football Feasibility Committee Chair Mac Everett, Student Body President Megan Smith and Student Body President-Elect Dave Craven will participate in the groundbreaking ceremony.

"A lot about the face of our campus has changed in just 6 years - we've opened our new Student Union, we're about to celebrate the opening of the Center City Building in Uptown, our EPIC building is nearing completion and our football stadium will quickly rise from the ground in front of the Charlotte Research Institute campus," Dubois said. "All of these spaces will make it easier for our growing student body - now 25,000 students strong - our 90,000 alumni and the community to come together. On April 28, we will not only break ground on a football stadium, we will break in a new tradition."

            The 15,000 seat stadium, being built so that it is expandable to 40,000 seats, will house the 49ers football program, which is set to take the field for the first time in the inaugural 2013 season.

"To be at this point, thanks to the support and hard work of so many people, is beyond words," Rose said. "Looking back, we have come an enormous distance. This project, however, has always been about looking forward. Construction of the stadium gives us an even clearer picture of what fall Saturdays will look like in 2013. All of Niner Nation is anxious to get the construction process underway and watch the stadium take shape."

The Football Stadium Complex will include the 15,000 seat stadium, a field house, and two practice fields.  A   6,636 square-foot press box, complete with media seating, a university box and television and radio booths will adorn the west sideline at the concourse level.  The field house includes coaches offices and meeting rooms, locker rooms and weight and training rooms as well as a 1,920 square-foot Academic Center, a 2,757 square-foot tiered classroom and a 5,947 square-foot Hospitality Deck.  

            The approximately 98,000 square-foot stadium field is a synthetic playing surface with inlay graphics and lines.  A full length practice field and an 80-yard practice field will be set off the east entrance.  The Bermuda turf sod practice fields total approximately 145,000 square feet.

Charlotte 49ers football will forever change the UNC Charlotte student experience, and it will give UNC Charlotte alumni another opportunity to connect to their University. Almost 60 percent of UNC Charlotte alumni live in the greater Charlotte area. 

          Local architect Jenkins • Peer Architects and national design firm DLR Group created the stadium design while the Construction Manager is Rodgers PCL Russell. 

            Since 1978, Jenkins • Peer Architects has delivered thoughtful design that enriches communities, respects environment, and promotes lasting value for its clients.  The Charlotte-based firm is active throughout the Carolinas, offering planning and architectural services for higher education, civic, cultural, corporate and developer-driven projects.

            DLR Group is an integrated design firm with offices coast-to-coast and in Shanghai. DLR Group's football portfolio includes renovations to the University of Florida's Ben Hill Griffin Stadium and renovations and improvements to the University of Nebraska's Memorial Stadium.  The firm's sports practice also is nationally recognized for intercollegiate baseball and softball stadium design.

            Rodgers PCL Russell is a joint venture of Rodgers Builders, PCL Construction Services, and H. J. Russell & Company. The construction team has extensive experience in athletic facilities, with representative projects including UNC Charlotte's James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center & Dale F. Halton Arena, The Home Depot Center, Central Broward Regional Park Stadium, and the STAPLES Center.

            The inaugural home game is slated for Aug. 31, 2013 vs. Campbell.

-- 30 --

Charlotte 49ers Football Stadium Groundbreaking

April 28, 2011

Tailgating: 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Groundbreaking Ceremony:  3:30 - 4:00 p.m.

Tailgate Reception: 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

"Rec" The Fields: 4:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Stadium Site On-Campus Near Hwy. 29 Entrance

Free parking is available in Lots 23, 18, 19 or the Union or West Decks

Shuttle service will be provided from the Student Union although attendees are encouraged to walk to the site

MEDIA NOTE: Media should be prepared to use Wireless Transmitters to access audio from the ceremony