Former UNC leaders not down with 49ers football

UNC Charlotte -- the fourth largest university in the state at around 17,000 students or so (and growing) -- wants to offer football as a sport by 2012. Former UNC system presidents C.D. Spangler and Bill Friday don't think that's such a good idea.

"This has been something disturbing to both of us," Spangler told the Charlotte Observer.

The decision is ultimately up to the university, but would probably require support from the "UNC Board of Governors because student fees are capped at 6.5 percent and in increase would be required to fund a football program."

Spangler said he and Friday have been reluctant to address university matters specifically, but that the football issue is important enough for them to speak up.

Spangler said he wanted to wait until the faculty meeting to talk about why he opposes football at the 61-year-old university, which has studied starting a team for the past year.

But Friday said college sports are becoming more about entertainment than education.

He said Thursday that he wants to present information from Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics reports on how high-level sports affect colleges and universities. He said he won't choose a side, but wants to make sure the faculty is informed of the potential cost of a football program on academics and other programs.

"The problems with college sports today are rather enormous," Friday said Thursday. "The commission is trying to make sure that the facts about this be known. That has not been the case in all too many instances up until now. There are campuses having to disband other sports to pay for the football and basketball programs."