CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Students at University of North Carolina at Charlotte are calling for a name change after an NBA All-Star weekend slip-up.
A petition is circulating online for the university to drop the letters “UNC” from its name in favor of calling it the “University of Charlotte.”
The name debate came to a head over the weekend when Brooklyn Nets player Joe Harris called the school the “University of Charlotte” after winning the three-point contest during NBA All-Star Weekend.
In a post-game interview Harris was asked where he would give the trophy, replying, “I'm actually going to send this to the University of Charlotte because they let me practice when I came here."
As of Wednesday afternoon, more than 375 people have signed the change.org petition.
"I think it'd be cool, just University of Charlotte, something more simple instead of UNC, cause there's a lot of UNCs -- UNCC, UNCG,” student Cale Manning said.
Other students say they like the name the way it is.
"I don't think we should have to change our name to have our own identity when we already do have our own identity,” student Ariel Hollis said.
UNC Charlotte spokesperson Buffie Stephens provided an email response to the petition.
“UNC Charlotte's name was approved by the General Assembly in 1965 and is fixed in Chapter 116 of the North Carolina General Statutes," Stephens said. "Changing the name of UNC Charlotte would require the support of the University's Board of Trustees and the UNC System Board of Governors before making a request of the General Assembly. The University is not engaged in any initiative to change the name of UNC Charlotte.”
The Student Government Association on campus is set to poll students on the possibility of a name change during the spring election.