New Facility A Huge Part Of Carolina's Sales Pitch

CHAPEL HILL – Sometime in approximately the next four months, North Carolina’s football program will move into its new practice facility located on the same site where the Tar Heels used to prepare for seasons and games.

A new indoor facility, which includes a 120-yard synthetic turf field, along with two outdoor 120-yard fields will open around the time of the team’s season-opener at California on Sept. 1, but Larry Fedora and his staff aren’t waiting for the finished product is open for business to sell it to recruits, it is a big part of Carolina’s pitch every day to every prospect.

“They’re excited about it,” Fedora said. “Anytime you have growth and change they’re excited about it. We’re excited about it, our team’s excited about it. It creates a buzz and people come in and see what we’re building and what the commitment is and they get excited.”

How excited? Let some of those kids speak for themselves.

Josh Henderson, a 4-star 2019 running back:

“They were really cool, they look good. We were impressed with all the resources they have for the team.”

Aaron Young, a 3-star 2019 running back:

"The new facility is going to be a great addition to what they already have and it will attract even more recruits,"

Keziah Everett, a 3-star 2019 defensive tackle:

"It's all great. I love what they are doing there."

Just about every prospect says something along those lines, and the ones that don’t usually say they aren’t concerned about facilities.

The new digs cost in the neighborhood of $71 million, and it also includes new soccer and lacrosse stadiums, adjoined to the indoor football facility. Football, however, is why this is being built.

One of the last ACC programs to have its own indoor facility, Carolina needed one. But now that it’s a reality, just how much of the sales pitch is it?

“We make sure that every one of them sees it, we make sure we talk about it,” Fedora said. “I don’t know how much time we spend on it, but when they come on campus, we’re making sure we show them all of our facilities.”

Former Tar Heel Donnie Miles, who was a senior last fall, gushes about what this will do for UNC football.

“Man, it’s going to help with recruiting and the current players that are there,” he said. “Having all of that space, being able to go inside without being limited is going to be great. I only wish we had it sooner.”

It will be up and a part of the UNC football experience soon enough, and there’s no telling how much of an effect it has on the program. But if the early returns mean anything, this could be significant.