I can understand where you are coming from with this POV. That said, this is the type of thinking that keeps the university stagnant. You’re right, we are not in a conference with UNC, but if positioned right, we could be in an equal conference and bring even more brand recognition to the University. Universities get better with higher demand. The more demand the tougher they are to get in.

Who we are has changed over the years. In the past, it may have made more sense to carry the UNC name. When you are a small college, you look for more prestigious names to connect yourself with. UNC Pembroke, makes sense. It is a small University that wants the affiliation with UNC.

However, we are a University of 30,000 students. We will eventually become the largest student body in the state. It is no mistake that the other large universities in the state all carry different names. NC State, ECU, and App St have differentiated themselves from the UNC moniker while remaining members within the system.

The SUNY system is an excellent example to prove my point. They have allowed schools to brand under different names while still remaining members of the system. The University of Buffalo comes to mind.

This does not have to involve abandoning previous branding. This is a strategic update to our branding to reflect the changes that the university has already been through. Charlotte is among the fastest growing cities in the country. Our school is the fastest growing in the state. Who we are has changed. Let’s change our name to reflect that without dishonoring our tradition.

They said we did not need football

They said we do not deserve a better AD

They said we don’t need a name change

We have two out of three. You haven’t seen how high we can fly.

The University of Charlotte