After an eight-year hiatus from Conference USA, the Charlotte 49ers have officially cut ties with the Atlantic 10 Conference.

As of July 1, the Charlotte 49ers have returned to Conference USA. The Charlotte 49ers were members of Conference USA from 1995-1996 until 2004-2005. They then joined the Atlantic 10 Conference, but are now back to where it was all started.

Conference USA was established in 1994, but had their first year of competition in the 1995-1996 season.

Sixteen of Charlotte’s athletic teams will immediately become members of Conference USA. Charlotte football will have to wait until 2015-2016 to join Conference USA. The football team will have to spend their first two seasons as an FCS Independent team.

In 2015, all seventeen of the Charlotte 49ers athletic teams will be competing members in Conference USA.

There are currently sixteen teams in Conference USA. The sixteen teams are Charlotte, East Carolina, FIU, Florida Atlantic, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Miss., Tulane, Tulsa, UAB, UTEP and UTSA.

Although the Charlotte 49ers football team will be an FCS Independent team during their inaugural season, they will face Conference USA’s Old Dominion for a game on Saturday, Nov. 16. That game is scheduled to be aired on FOX College Sports.