Norm the Niner is the athletics mascot of the

University of North Carolina at Charlotte The University of North Carolina at Charlotte (UNC Charlotte or simply Charlotte) is a public research university in Charlotte, North Carolina. UNC Charlotte offers 24 doctoral, 66 master's, and 79 bachelor's degree programs through nine colle ...

. Norm is a student dressed in appropriate

Charlotte 49ers The Charlotte 49ers are the college athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletics teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in Charlotte, North Carolina. The 49ers compete at the National Collegiate Athletic A ...

athletics uniforms with a headpiece. Norm made his debut in 1962 after a student vote in November 1961 to change the mascot, with periodic updates to design and wardrobe occurring in the years since. Norm is rarely seen without his trusty pick-axe and never takes his

slouch hat A slouch hat is a wide-brimmed felt or cloth hat most commonly worn as part of a military uniform, often, although not always, with a chinstrap. It has been worn by military personnel from many different nations including Australia, Ireland, the ...

off. As a member of the spirit squad, Norm the Niner travels with the cheerleaders to away athletics events, to many events around the university and often makes appearances around

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

and the surrounding region.

History

The nickname "49ers" derives from the fact that the university's predecessor, Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina (CCUNC - established in 1946) was saved from being shut down by the state in 1949 by

Bonnie Ethel Cone Bonnie Ethel Cone (June 22, 1907 – March 8, 2003) was an American educator best known as the founder of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Cone was born to a prominent family in Lodge, South Carolina where her father served ...

, when the Charlotte Center became Charlotte College. Due to this "49er spirit" that Cone felt embodied the University, referring to the settlers that endured much hardships in traveling across the United States to seek fortune in the California Gold Rush, students of the fledgling UNC Charlotte chose "49ers" as the school's mascot. The fact that the site of the U.S.'s first major gold discovery, Reed's Gold Mine, is located nearby may also be a contributing factor to the nickname. The fact that the University's Main Campus front entrance is located on

North Carolina Highway 49 North Carolina Highway 49 (NC 49) is a 177.8-mile (286.1 km) primary state highway in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It traverses much of the Piedmont region, connecting the cities of Charlotte, Asheboro, and Burlington. Route descr ...

is pure coincidence. Prior to the "49ers" moniker, the athletic teams were known as the "Owls" due to CCUNC's beginnings as a night school. In 2011 Norm was named the 45th of 50 top college basketball mascots by Bleacher Report. UNCCNorm2

References

{{C-USA Mascots Charlotte 49ers Conference USA mascots