The athletic teams representing the University of North Carolina at Charlotte are called the 49ers in honor of the institution's historic founding year. The university trace its roots back to 1946 as the Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina, which was established to accommodate returning World War II veterans. Because 1949 marked the pivotal year the institution became Charlotte College—the direct precursor to the modern university—the "49ers" moniker was proudly adopted to commemorate that foundational heritage.