Should Charlotte copy Pembroke?

UNC Pembroke is one of the state's smallest universities, with 6,303 students. Yet it has come up constantly in the debate about whether UNC Charlotte, which has 23,000 students, ought to start a football program. A reader suggests the success of that university's program, which is modest and targets a geographic community, not the big-time, might be a model for UNCC.

Here's what the reader wrote:

"It would be great to write about the UNCP program. In 2 years the program
continues to sell out each game went 9-1. If a program is built right from the
ground up, it can do wonders for the school and community. This could be a model
for Charlotte. It would only be fair to admit that I'm the proud parent of a
UNCP football player that was a product of Independence HS. If football were in
Charlotte at the time it's likely that a lot of our young men would stay &
play at home."

Here are some links he sent along:
http://uncpbraves.athleticsite.com/sport.asp?sportID=9
http://www.afca.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9300&ATCLID=1622252
http://www.prepnow.org

What about it? UNCP is in Robeson County, in southeastern North Carolina. It serves a primarily rural area.
Can a large, urban public university take a page from the playbook of a small, rural one?

­- posted by Mary Schulken