Tennessee-Chattanooga's Sun Belt Resume

 Tennessee-Chattanooga:

  

Finley Stadium

School Founded: 1886

Location: Chattanooga, TN

Football Founded: 1909

Current Conference: Southern

Facilities: 20,688 Finley Stadium.

In 1997, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football program said goodbye to historic Chamberlain Field and ushered in a new era for both the University and the city. On Oct. 18, 1997, the Mocs opened up their new home, Finley Stadium Davenport Field, as an overflow crowd of 22,646 watched UTC defeat Tennessee State 28-7.

The 20,668-seat state-of-the-art facility is the best of its kind among Division I-FCS stadiums and is the crown jewel for the city's Southside revitalization project.

A stadium project for UTC and Chattanooga had been talked about by city leaders for quite some time before the dream came to fruition. Chamberlain Field on the UTC campus, which opened in 1908, had the distinction of being the second-oldest on-campus stadium in the nation. Officials agreed that something needed to be done. A facility was needed to take the UTC football program to a higher level and to elevate the city's status to a full-service, mid-sized city.

The $28.5 million project needed supporters to become a reality and got plenty of them. Donations from the private sector ranged anywhere from a 10 dollar bill to $1 million. In fact, nearly 40 percent, or $10.2 million of the project, came from private donations. The City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County contributed $13 million, the State of Tennessee gave $3.5 million and the University donated $2.9 million.

Ground breaking on the site that was once the Rock Tenn plant was held March 7, 1996. Seven months later, the Stadium Corporation named the facility Finley Stadium Davenport Field.

http://www.gomocs.com/ViewArticle.dbml?&DB_OEM_ID=17700&ATCLID=1097276

TV Market(s): Knoxville (59th TV Market)

All-time Record: 466-482-32  4 conference titles.

Claimed National Championships: None.

Rivalries:

• Western Carolina
• Citadel
• Furman

Student Population: 4,250 (2,767 undergraduate).

Academics: http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/university-of-tennessee-chattanooga-3529

Endowment: $77.3 Million

Athletic Budget:  $10.8 million

FBS Aspirations: Following a contemplative pause, Chattanooga athletic director Rick Hart plainly conceded, “It was inevitable that it was going to impact all levels of Division I and it wasn’t going to stop.”

Indeed, conference realignment is an avalanche. It won’t settle until even foothills are covered.

What started at the top has worked its way into UTC’s tidy world. Over the past two years, sweeping changes have left some of America’s most powerful conferences feeling, well, powerless. The Big East has been decimated. The Big 12, at times, has been on life support.

For much of the time, mid-major conferences, including Chattanooga’s Southern Conference, watched on knowing they were predestined to be toppled. Eventually, those high mid-majors assaulted by BCS leagues would Band-Aid their wounds with lower mid-majors.

And here we are.

Over the past three days, the Atlantic Ten and Conference USA have joined the Sun Belt in shaking down the once-proud Colonial Athletic Association. The A-10 poached Virginia Commonwealth, C-USA snagged Old Dominion and the Sun Belt, back in April, opened its arms to Georgia State.

http://www.nooga.com/155399/the-wait-is-over-conference-realignment-knocks-on-utc-socon-door/