CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – North Carolina football fans will experience a more colorful and modernized game day atmosphere when they cheer on the Tar Heels at Kenan Stadium this season. The 96-year-old stadium in the heart of Carolina’s campus is undergoing significant lighting upgrades to enhance the fan experience during football games.
When fans gather at Kenan Stadium, they will see more than 196 new game lights installed atop of the north and south sides of the stadium, along with 16 new moving spotlights and customized logos, eight on each side of the stadium.
Not only will football game feature new game lights, Carolina also will have the ability to wash Kenan Stadium in Carolina Blue lighting during introductions, timeouts and post-game. The new system also will allow for programmed light movement, other color options and instant on/off capability for creative light shows.
“We always are looking for new ways to make our game day atmosphere memorable, and we are excited about the creative ways we can use this new lighting system to brighten the experience for our student-athletes, fans and Carolina Community,’’ said Carolina Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham. “We want Kenan Stadium filled with loud, enthusiastic, supportive fans – and keep them coming back. This is another step.”
As part of this project, the 172-foot-tall Morehead-Patterson Bell Tower will also see its existing halogen lighting fixtures replaced with 16-LED lights, allowing it to be lit after Tar Heel football victories, to honor National Championship teams and during Commencement.
“We’re really excited about the new lighting system in Kenan Stadium,” said UNC Head Football Coach Mack Brown. “It’s a way for us to take the gameday atmosphere to another level for our fans, but also our players. We want everything about our program to be first class, and these new lights fit that description. We appreciate the athletics department making this upgrade to the stadium and we can’t wait for all our fans to get a chance to experience the new system in person.”
Carolina Athletics partnered with Musco to install TLC for LED system lights at Kenan Stadium. The LED systems will decrease energy consumption to light the venues, resulting in an increase in energy efficiency. The University has climate-related goals that include constant improvements to reach carbon neutrality by 2040. The Champion Sustainability Fund, run by the UNC Institute for the Environment and established by a gift from HanesBrand, also invested in the projects, which include Kenan Stadium and Carmichael Arena.
Work on the lighting project is still in progress but will be finished in time for North Carolina’s home opener against Appalachian State on Sept. 9.
VIDEO: https://goheels.com/showcase/embed.aspx?Archive=19297
