CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina will hold its annual spring football game Saturday afternoon at Kenan Stadium, signaling the close to the Tar Heels’ spring practice while giving fans a chance to see the team perform, and the players an opportunity to play in front of a crowd.

The #TyleeStrong Spring Football Game presented by Wegman’s begins at 3 PM with warmups and some special teams work. TV coverage on the ACC Network begins at 3 PM, but the actual game will start at 3:45.

The program has named the game in honor of junior wide receiver Tylee Craft, who was diagnosed with cancer this winter and recently began chemotherapy.

“Because the players wanted to, we’re going to rename the spring game ‘#Tylee Strong,’ and get Tylee, if he feels like it, to come out and be an honorary captain for the game,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said after practice Thursday.

“He’s been out to a couple of practices, and we’re looking at some other special young people that are fighting through some things like Tylee to come out with him.”

Brown said in addition to Craft, other cancer patients will be honored before the game as well.

The women’s basketball team will also be honored for their reaching the Sweet 16. The men’s team, which lost to Kansas in the national championship last Monday night, will not be honored because the coaches are all on the road this weekend recruiting.

“We wanted to honor them as well, but just didn’t have the opportunity to do that,” Brown said.

The game will be full contact, full tackling. The special teams stuff will take place in pre-game, “because we’re limited on numbers,” Brown said. This way, they can get in more plays in the game and keep the offensive/defense organization of the sidelines more under control.

The only special teams during the game will be extra points after touchdowns, and if it comes up for a field goal, “it will be the actual field goal.”

Stay with THI for complete coverage of the game, as we will hit coverage hard Saturday, but continue to roll out written pieces, videos, and podcasts into the next couple of weeks.