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The Charlotte area hosts a wide variety of men’s and women’s varsity and intramural athletics, including several ambitious, up-and-coming basketball programs.

Following its nationally captivating run in the 2008 NCAA tournament that took it within a basket of the Final Four, the Davidson men’s basketball team, and its all-American Stephen Curry, began the 2008-2009 campaign again in the national spotlight. Ranked in the top 25 to begin the year and playing regularly on national television, the Wildcats posted a record of 27-8 and appeared in the NIT. In the 2009-2010 season, Davidson will embark on a new chapter in it's program's history, as Curry has announced he will forego his senior year and enter the NBA draft.

The Charlotte 49ers’ program is optimistic as men’s basketball Head Coach Bobby Lutz announced the spring additions of 6’ 9” forward Gohkan Sirin and 6’ 0” guard Derrio Green, a transfer with three years of remaining eligibility. The women’s basketball program looks hopeful as well, with a strong recruiting class and three returning starters from its 2008-2009 Atlantic 10 Championship team that won a bid to the 2009 NCAA tournament.

The Winthrop Eagles, representing Winthrop University in Rock Hill, S.C., just over the state line, has reached the men’s NCAA basketball tournament eight times in 10 years. The Eagles had their strongest showing in 2007 with a 29-5 season, finishing 22nd in the AP poll.

In 2009, the Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) Golden Bulls won the men’s and women’s CIAA Championships, a second consecutive win for the men’s team. The CIAA men’s basketball tournament returns to Charlotte in 2010. More than simply a tournament, this event brings a wide variety of entertainment and well-known celebrities to town.

While college hoops may be a primary obsession in Charlotte, football has a following as well. Several area universities celebrate the time-honored traditions of the gridiron, including Johnson C. Smith University and Wingate University. The UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees voted in late 2008 to add football to the university’s athletic program. A capital campaign to fund the program is underway, led by the same powerful personalities that brought professional sports to Charlotte. The first season is scheduled for fall 2013. Seat licenses are for sale at www.charlotte49erfootball.com.

And finally, upon going co-ed in 1987, Queens University joined the NCAA Division II, which allows the university to offer athletic scholarships and compete for national championships. The Queens Royals are also a member of the Conference Carolinas.

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