Charlotte 49ers football enters new era

Today’s game in Atlanta marks the start of Football Bowl Subdivision play for the Charlotte 49ers. The team is taking on the Georgia State Panthers at the Georgia Dome; the game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. in front of a national television audience on ESPNU.

“We’ve had a lot of firsts in starting this program, but this is probably the biggest,” said head coach Brad Lambert. “In my humble opinion, this is the greatest time of the year. The boys are all are getting ready to take the field. It doesn’t get any better than what we are getting ready to embark on.”

When the Charlotte 49ers take the field, they will sport a sticker on their helmets to honor offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator Phil Ratliff, who passed away Aug. 4 at the age of 44. Charlotte coaches will wear white sunglasses, a trademark of Ratliff’s, during the season in remembrance of their colleague.

The Campus Activity Board, Niner Nation Gold and the 49er Club hosted bus trips to Atlanta to provide the 49ers with hometown support in Atlanta.

“Our fans have been great through this whole process,” said Lambert.