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Practice Facility Delays Frustrating Fedora

The new football practice facility, seen in the photo taken in August, is something Larry Fedora no longer worries about.
The new football practice facility, seen in the photo taken in August, is something Larry Fedora no longer worries about. (THI)

CHAPEL HILL – Larry Fedora has reached a point where he’s stopped asking questions about the indoor practice facility that hasn’t yet been completed.

Ground broke in May of 2017 and it was supposed to be completed the week of the season opener at California, but 10 weeks later, the building isn’t close to being ready, thus the football Tar Heels will go two full seasons without having a traditional practice place.

Kenan Stadium is nice, but it’s not practical and barely functional for the program’s needs. Fedora doesn’t wear emotions on his sleeve, but his frustration was clear during his weekly press conference Monday.

“It is what it is,” he said. “Any time you’re dealing with construction it’s out of your control. I would have liked to have had it but we don’t, that’s just the way it is.”

Heavier-than-usual rain fall over the last year has had significant effect on the progress of the project, but building restrictions have also slowed it. For Fedora, he probably only cares about how it affects his program, and it has.

His team has lost 20 of its last 25 games and is 1-8 this season, so moving into a state-of-the-art new facility would have been a needed boon to the team and program.

“Just having the new practice complex and getting out of this stadium I think will help us,” Fedora said. “I think it will help in a lot of different ways. It will help in recruiting, I think it will help in the morale of the team, I think it will help the energy of the team, I think everybody will be energized by it.”

The Heels have practiced in Kenan for two seasons.
The Heels have practiced in Kenan for two seasons. (THI)

Morale?

“That’s energy,” he replied. “You’ve got something new, you’ve got something you haven’t had before and you’re not practicing in the same place in a confined area trying to get everything done on one field.”

Adding to the frustration is that Fedora has been told multiple target dates for when the facility would open, only to see the date slip by and a new one suggested.

“I have,” Fedora replied, when asked if he’s been told numerous completion dates. “But, in the last month I haven’t asked.”

At this point, he’s stopped worrying about it.

“It’s one of those things, why worry about it, because you’ve got no control over it,” Fedora said. “So, it’s going to get finished when it gets finished. And when it gets finished it’s going to be awesome.”

The cost of the new building has exceeded $100 million and it includes a new soccer and lacrosse stadium.

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