McColl-Richardson Field
Encyclopedia
McColl-Richardson Field, located in Charlotte
, North Carolina
, United States, is the under construction, home stadium for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
(or simply Charlotte) 49ers
college football
team. Groundbreaking for the stadium was on April 28, 2011. It is currently due to open in 2013 and will have a seating capacity
of 15,300 spectators; but could be expanded to up to 40,000, or rapidly expanded to 25,000 with the addition of temporary bleachers.
presented a report to the school's Board of Trustees that addressed both the needs and impacts of the addition of a football program and stadium to the university. At the time of the report, the recommendations for a stadium location did not include American Legion Memorial Stadium
, but rather a renovated Irwin Belk Track and Field Center/Transamerica Field
or at the site of the recreational fields on the northwestern side of the campus. Chancellor Dubois indicated at that time that the renovated Transamerica Field would be the preferred option at that time due to overall costs of new stadium construction.
In November 2008, the school's Board of Trustees unanimously approved chancellor Dubois' proposal to add a football program to Charlotte. The following January, university officials announced details for the proposed personal seat license
fees that would be used in part to finance the construction of the stadium. With the ticket sale drive well underway, on December 11, 2009, the Charlotte Board of Trustees approved a financing plan for football. The plan called for the university to borrow $40.5 million in state issued bonds to construct a permanent stadium and field house. The reason the Board chose to construct the new facility instead of renovating an existing one was a result of a favorable bidding environment for new construction, and to help stimulate greater interest in ticket sales.
On February 12, 2010, the University of North Carolina
Board of Governors approved a debt service fee increase to fund the construction of the football stadium and football center, and on August 2, 2010 Governor Bev Perdue
signed the debt service fee bill into law to clear the way for stadium construction. The final design of the Charlotte 49ers football stadium was displayed at the Board of Trustees meeting on September 24, 2010. Designed by the architecture teams of Jenkins-Peer Architects and the DLR Group
, its location was shown near the campus entrance at Highway 29
north of Hayes Stadium.
ceremony for the football stadium. Rodgers PCL Russell, a joint venture of Rodgers Builders, PCL Construction
and H. J. Russell & Company, is the primary builder for the stadium, fields and football center. The stadium is scheduled to be complete in summer 2013 to allow for the 49ers first home game against Campbell
on August 31, 2013.
Campus; which was laid out to match Tryon St. (US Highway 29). The first phase of the construction includes approximately 15,300 seats, with the design able to support future expansion of between 40,000 to 60,000 seats. Any future expansion of the stadium would be contingent on the 49ers program moving from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
CEO Hugh McColl
and Jerry Richardson
, owner of the NFL's Carolina Panthers
. The stadium name as well as the football center name have yet to be determined.
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, United States, is the under construction, home stadium for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte , also known as UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte, is a public research university located in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States...
(or simply Charlotte) 49ers
Charlotte 49ers football
The Charlotte 49ers are a collegiate football program that represents the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. The UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees officially voted to add Forty Niner football on November 13, 2008, after a unanimous recommendation by the Football Feasibility Committee...
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team. Groundbreaking for the stadium was on April 28, 2011. It is currently due to open in 2013 and will have a seating capacity
Seating capacity
Seating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
of 15,300 spectators; but could be expanded to up to 40,000, or rapidly expanded to 25,000 with the addition of temporary bleachers.
History
In June 2008, Charlotte chancellor Phil DuboisPhil DuBois
Phillip Donn DuBois is a former American football tight end in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins. He also played for the Washington Federals of the United States Football League. DuBois played college football at San Diego State University.He currently resides in...
presented a report to the school's Board of Trustees that addressed both the needs and impacts of the addition of a football program and stadium to the university. At the time of the report, the recommendations for a stadium location did not include American Legion Memorial Stadium
American Legion Memorial Stadium
American Legion Memorial Stadium is 21,000-capacity stadium located on 7th Street in the Elizabeth community of Charlotte, North Carolina. Memorial Stadium is mainly used for high school sporting events and also serves as a public venue...
, but rather a renovated Irwin Belk Track and Field Center/Transamerica Field
Irwin Belk Track and Field Center/Transamerica Field
The Irwin Belk Track and Field Center/Transamerica Field is a stadium located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Finished in 1996, the stadium is home to the 49ers soccer and track and field teams....
or at the site of the recreational fields on the northwestern side of the campus. Chancellor Dubois indicated at that time that the renovated Transamerica Field would be the preferred option at that time due to overall costs of new stadium construction.
In November 2008, the school's Board of Trustees unanimously approved chancellor Dubois' proposal to add a football program to Charlotte. The following January, university officials announced details for the proposed personal seat license
Personal Seat License
A personal seat license, or PSL, gives the holder the right to buy season tickets for a certain seat in a stadium. This holder can sell the seat license to someone else if they no longer wish to purchase season tickets. However, if the seat license holder chooses not to sell the seat licenses and...
fees that would be used in part to finance the construction of the stadium. With the ticket sale drive well underway, on December 11, 2009, the Charlotte Board of Trustees approved a financing plan for football. The plan called for the university to borrow $40.5 million in state issued bonds to construct a permanent stadium and field house. The reason the Board chose to construct the new facility instead of renovating an existing one was a result of a favorable bidding environment for new construction, and to help stimulate greater interest in ticket sales.
On February 12, 2010, the University of North Carolina
University of North Carolina
Chartered in 1789, the University of North Carolina was one of the first public universities in the United States and the only one to graduate students in the eighteenth century...
Board of Governors approved a debt service fee increase to fund the construction of the football stadium and football center, and on August 2, 2010 Governor Bev Perdue
Bev Perdue
Beverly Eaves "Bev" Perdue is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party currently serving as the 73rd Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina. She is the first female governor of North Carolina....
signed the debt service fee bill into law to clear the way for stadium construction. The final design of the Charlotte 49ers football stadium was displayed at the Board of Trustees meeting on September 24, 2010. Designed by the architecture teams of Jenkins-Peer Architects and the DLR Group
DLR Group
DLR Group is an architectural design firm providing architecture, engineering, planning, and interior design to clients throughout the United States...
, its location was shown near the campus entrance at Highway 29
U.S. Route 29 in North Carolina
U.S. Route 29 is an north–south United States highway that runs for from the South Carolina state line, near Blacksburg, to the commonwealth of Virginia, near Danville...
north of Hayes Stadium.
Construction
On April 28, 2011 Charlotte held a groundbreakingGroundbreaking
Groundbreaking, also known as cutting, sod-cutting, turning the first sod or a sod-turning ceremony, is a traditional ceremony in many cultures that celebrates the first day of construction for a building or other project. Such ceremonies are often attended by dignitaries such as politicians and...
ceremony for the football stadium. Rodgers PCL Russell, a joint venture of Rodgers Builders, PCL Construction
PCL Construction
The PCL family of companies is the largest general contracting organization in Canada and the sixth largest in the US. The organization is active in the commercial, institutional, multi-family residential, heavy industrial and civil construction sectors. The company's North American Headquarters...
and H. J. Russell & Company, is the primary builder for the stadium, fields and football center. The stadium is scheduled to be complete in summer 2013 to allow for the 49ers first home game against Campbell
Campbell Fighting Camels
The Campbell University Fighting Camels and Lady Camels are the nicknames of the school's 18 teams that compete at the Division I level of the NCAA.-Sports teams:*Men's sports**Baseball**Basketball**Cross country**Football**Golf**Soccer...
on August 31, 2013.
Design
The Charlotte 49ers Football Stadium is a horseshoe-style stadium with the field house located at the southeastern end. The stadium is slightly off of the traditional north/south alignment of most American Football stadiums to better situate itself in line with the rest of the Charlotte Research InstituteCharlotte Research Institute
The Charlotte Research Institute is a partnership between the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and corporations in the region. The goal of CRI is to develop technology-based academic and business partnerships, ranging from consultation to onsite collaborative research...
Campus; which was laid out to match Tryon St. (US Highway 29). The first phase of the construction includes approximately 15,300 seats, with the design able to support future expansion of between 40,000 to 60,000 seats. Any future expansion of the stadium would be contingent on the 49ers program moving from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) to the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS).
Naming
On November 1st, 2011, the field was named McColl-Richardson Field after former Bank of AmericaBank of America
Bank of America Corporation, an American multinational banking and financial services corporation, is the second largest bank holding company in the United States by assets, and the fourth largest bank in the U.S. by market capitalization. The bank is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina...
CEO Hugh McColl
Hugh McColl
Hugh L. McColl Jr. is a fourth-generation banker and the former Chairman and CEO of Bank of America. McColl was a driving force behind consolidating a series of progressively larger, mostly Southern banks, thrifts and financial institutions into a super-regional banking force, "the first...
and Jerry Richardson
Jerry Richardson
Jerry Richardson is the current majority owner and founder of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.-Biography:...
, owner of the NFL's Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. The stadium name as well as the football center name have yet to be determined.