Athletics

Charlotte 49ers Executive Associate Athletics Director Ragean Hill is among 21 individuals selected by the NCAA for the 2023-24 Pathway Program, a yearlong initiative to prepare senior-level athletics administrators for their next career step as directors of athletics or conference commissioners.

A total of 117 Charlotte 49ers student-athletes earned a Conference USA Commissioner’s Academic Medal for the 2022-23 academic year, while 291 student-athletes were named to the Commissioner’s

Scott Kull will join the Charlotte 49ers as deputy athletics director for external affairs. Recognized as a “power player” by the Sports Business Journal in 2019, he has served in similar roles at the University of Utah, South Florida and TCU during his 30-year career in intercollegiate athletics. Experienced in fundraising and external operations, Kull will oversee the Athletics Department’s external units and development, and he will have sport supervision duties.

Charlotte’s Bailey Vannoy will continue her softball career in the professional ranks following her selection by the Florida Vibe. 

Vannoy, the first Niner named an all-American, was named a Second Team All-American by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association following the 2022 season. Vannoy is the Conference USA career leader in home runs with 67. She is Charlotte’s career leader in hits (257), RBI (187), runs scored (193), games played (237), slugging percentage (.745) and on-base percentage (.462).

For the first time in program history, the Charlotte 49ers baseball team is Conference USA Tournament Champions after the 49ers defeated regular-season champion Dallas Baptist 5-2 in the title game May 28.

Charlotte (34-26, 17-12 C-USA) leaves Conference USA with its first conference tournament title and has punched its ticket to an NCAA Regional for the seventh time in program history and second time in the last three years under head coach Robert Woodard.

The Charlotte 49ers third class elected to its Athletics Hall of Fame includes the first inductees for the baseball and women’s soccer programs, a 2000-point scorer who led the 49ers to three NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournaments, Charlotte’s all-time winningest men’s basketball coach and the largest individual donor to the athletics program.

The Charlotte 49ers will hold their annual Football Spring Game at 7 p.m., Saturday, April 22, at Richardson Stadium.

Admission is free for the event with gates opening at 6 p.m.; stadium seating will be general admission.

Fans of the 49ers will see head coach Biff Poggi and the team in action. Poggi, named head coach in November 2022, has assembled a roster with more than 40 new players, including 15 transfers from power five schools.

The American Athletic Conference upcoming 2023 season will be the Charlotte 49ers’ first in the league as they will face six teams that advanced to bowl games in 2022 and six American opponents for the first time.
Charlotte’s home slate includes league games against Navy, Florida Atlantic, Memphis and Rice and non-conference matchups with S.C. State and Georgia State. 
Game times and television designations will be added at a later date with information for the first three weeks of the season announced by June 1. 

Charlotte 49ers wide receiver Grant DuBose will participate in the 2023 Reese’s Senior Bowl. He was named to the National Team, which will play the American Team at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 4, in Mobile, Alabama. The Reese’s Senior Bowl will be broadcast on the NFL Network.

DuBose is the third 49ers player all-time to be selected to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, joining current NFL stars Larry Ogunjobi (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Nate Davis (Tennessee Titans).

Nominations for the 2023 class of the Charlotte 49ers Athletics Hall of Fame can be submitted by the public through Sunday, Feb. 19. The 49ers Hall of Fame Selection Committee will vote on nominees.