Following months of speculation and debate about the issue and the release of a 100-page feasibility report prepared by a blue ribbon committee, the chancellor of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte announced that he was supporting a proposal to add football to the university's athletic program. He said that his decision was based not on the hope for increases in either enrollment or donations, but rather on the institution's “long-term strategic institutional goals.” Quoting the adage “You are judged by the company you keep,” he urged the adoption of football because the universities with which UNC Charlotte wished to be associated were members of the Football Bowl Subdivision. Football, he said, would bolster the university's reputation and strengthen “the ‘ownership’ of the Charlotte community of this institution over the long term, thereby creating secondary benefits for our university in terms of political and financial support, research partnerships, employment and internship opportunities for our students.” The committee's feasibility report, while noting the modest potential for ticket sales and some opportunities for corporate sponsorships, placed particular emphasis on the potential for football to improve the community's perception of the university, increase school pride among students and alumni, and “become a significant element in the branding of the University.” Two months later, the university's board of trustees approved the plan, pending the sale of 5,000 seat licenses for the as yet unbuilt stadium. Although the university failed to reach this goal, the proponents won the day.