Charlotte 49ers to open football season with App State Mountaineers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - The Charlotte 49ers will open their 2020 college football season with the Appalachian State Mountaineers.

The teams will meet for the third straight season after the two schools agreed to a game at Appalachian State, Sept. 12, in what is now the 49ers’ 2020 season-opener.

The schools decided to play the game in Boone due to the larger seating capacity at Kidd Brewer Stadium in a year in which attendance may be limited due to the pandemic.

“This game has been our number one scheduling priority,” said 49ers Director of Athletics Mike Hill. “We have tremendous respect for App State’s football program and look forward to another great game against them. Without a doubt, we have our most exciting non-conference schedule in history.”

Charlotte recently confirmed a pair of ACC games would be part of the 2020 non-conference schedule.

The 49ers’ originally scheduled road game at Duke remained on the schedule but was moved to Oct. 31.

A road game at 19th-ranked North Carolina, Sept. 19, was added as well, as the two ACC schools identified their one non-conference opponent.

Appalachian State and Duke are both receiving votes in the Amway Coaches Poll presented by USA Today. Charlotte will also host Georgia State, Sept. 26, in non-conference play.

“We know the history of that program and what kind of team they have coming back,” said 49ers head coach Will Healy. “Shawn Clark is a really, really good person and he does a great job. I know he’s going to keep them rolling.”

As part of the agreement, Charlotte will host App State in 2030.

Charlotte and Appalachian State already had a four-game series from 2026 to 2029 on the schedule for upcoming campaigns, so the two teams will be set to play in five straight seasons, beginning in 2026. 

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