Charlotte
First and foremost, geography is important in collegiate athletics, though perhaps not the utmost importance in this recent line of realignment. The geography is immediately in Charlotte’s favor, as they’d become a natural rival for nearby East Carolina, a school several states away from everyone else in the current AAC. However, it’s fair to wonder what the 49ers would bring to the conference from a basketball standpoint.
Charlotte hasn’t made an NCAA Tournament since 2005, back when they were one of the best programs in the old C-USA, a conference they left later that year. They’ve finished above .500 in just one of the last seven seasons, and their conference record in the C-USA is just 22-48 since 2017. The program has struggled for consistency in recent years, and the many coaching changes hasn’t helped to build a consistent program. Would this kind of team be able to handle that step up to the AAC?
Head coach Ron Sanchez did wonders on Tony Bennett’s staffs over the years, but his efforts to employ Virginia’s slow-paced defensive attack have had mixed results in his first three seasons. The 49ers lost their final nine games last season and should take a step forward this year, but it’s still fair to wonder if this program will ever truly be back. A transition to the AAC would throw them into that bottom tier, fighting with East Carolina, South Florida, and Tulane to escape the conference’s basement.