The Charlotte 49ers have announced their 12-game 2015 football schedule. It will mark the 49ers first season as an FBS program competing in Conference USA.
"We’re just excited about being in Conference USA and playing an FBS schedule," said 49ers head coach Brad Lambert. "Welcome to FBS Football. It’s challenging. We’ve got the two previous conference champions, and there are five schools that were bowl eligible with at least six wins. We play an SEC team on the road, we open on the road against our first FBS opponent, and our first Conference USA game is at Middle Tennessee. It’s a good home schedule for our fans. We have a good AAC team coming in and I’m excited for our fans to get to see Conference USA in our stadium. Our first home game comes against a team we’ve played before but the rest is all new. It’s a tough schedule that we are excited to play."
In the 49ers first season of Conference USA, Charlotte will face three of the last four league champions. Marshall won the 2014 C-USA Championship, Rice was the 2013 C-USA Champion and Southern Miss claimed the title in 2011. Five FBS teams on the 2015 slate had at least six wins, last year. Charlotte will play six home games and six on the road.
The 2015 alignment of Conference USA will feature seven teams in the East Division and six teams in the West Division. UNC Charlotte, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, Old Dominion and WKU comprise the East Division, while Louisiana Tech, North Texas, Rice, Southern Miss, UTEP and UTSA make up the West Division.
The 49ers season will open at the Sun Belt Conference’s Georgia State, in a game tentatively slated for Sept. 3. That will be the 49ers first game against an FBS opponent. Charlotte’s first home game will be Sept. 12 against Presbyterian, the only team on the slate that the 49ers have played before. The 49ers first Conference USA game will be on the road at Middle Tennessee, Sept. 19. The 49ers first C-USA home game will be the following week against Florida Atlantic, Sept. 26.
2015 Schedule
Sept. 3* at Georgia State, Atlanta
Sept. 12 PRESBYTERIAN, Richardson Stadium
Sept. 19 at Middle Tennessee, Murfreesboro
Sept. 26 FLORIDA ATLANTIC, Richardson Stadium
Oct. 3 TEMPLE, Richardson Stadium
Oct. 17 at Old Dominion, Norfolk, Va.
Oct. 24 SOUTHERN MISS, Richardson Stadium
Oct. 31 MARSHALL, Richardson Stadium
November
Nov. 7 at FIU Miami, Fla.
Nov. 14 UTSA, Richardson Stadium
Nov. 21 at Kentucky, Lexington