| Irwin Belk Track and Field Center/Transamerica Field | |
|---|---|
| Location | University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
| Opened | February 25, 1996 (initial) |
| Owner | UNC Charlotte |
| Surface | Natural Grass |
| Construction cost | $2.1 million USD |
| Architect | Overcash Demmitt Architects, Tony F. Miller, AIA Designer |
| General Contractor | Rodgers Builders |
| Capacity |
4,000 (seated) 20,000 (standing) |
| Field dimensions | 10,500 sqft |
| Tenants | |
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Charlotte 49ers (NCAA) (1996-present) Charlotte Eagles (2001–2002), occasional cup matches |
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The Irwin Belk Track and Field Center/Transamerica Field is a stadium located on the campus of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Finished in 1996, the stadium is home to the 49ers soccer and track and field teams.
The facility includes the Southeast's first 8 lane continuous radius track with full-depth polyurethane surface; and 10,500 square feet of internal space including coaches offices, locker rooms and a hospitality suite in the North Pavilion. Public restrooms, concessions and the press box are located in the South Pavilion. The Central Pavilion contains the ticket booths, Wall of Champions and Recognition Center.[1]
Track events held in the Center include high jump, pole vault, long jump, and triple jump. The 120 yard by 75 yard natural grass playing surface is the home field for the Charlotte 49ers men's and women's soccer teams, and also accommodates shot put, discus, javelin and hammer throw events.[2]
The facility has hosted several major meets for both Conference USA and the Atlantic 10 Conference. Pro soccer team, the Charlotte Eagles, have also used Belk for home games.
Originally considered for expansion to host the Charlotte 49ers new football team, estimates of expansion for football usage made by leading sports design firm Populous were prohibitively expensive due to location restrictions and environmental concerns involving the Toby Creek flood plain. Subsequently, the University chose to build a dedicated football stadium west of Hayes Stadium, named McColl-Richardson Field.
Title IX scholarship requirements related to the addition of the Charlotte 49ers football program will most likely mean that Belk will soon be home to the 49ers field hockey team (starting in 2016) and women's lacrosse team (starting in 2019 or 2022). Facilities upgrades, including the possibility of replacing the grass field with Artificial turf, might be needed to handle the added usage.
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The facility features six Richard Hallier athletic statues depicting sports played at the Center. Four along the front entrance feature a male relay runner, a female long distance runner and male and female soccer players. On the field side in front of the north and south pavilions respectively are statues of a female hurdler and a male discus thrower. There are six more Hallier sports statues on the UNC Charlotte campus, all of which were donated by Charlotte businessman and philanthropist Irwin Belk (part of the family which owns the Belk department store chain), whom is also the namesake of the Center.[3]
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