Kenan Memorial Stadium
Kenan Stadium (formerly Kenan Memorial Stadium and commonly known as Kenan) is a college football stadium located on Stadium Drive in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Opened in 1927, it is home to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's (UNC) football team, which competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The facility replaced Emerson Field, where the school's football program had been based since 1916. Plans for the stadium began as attendance increased. Ground was broken on the stadium in December 1926 and work completed in August 1927. The stadium hosted its first game on November 12, 1927, when the Tar Heels faced the Davidson Wildcats, where the Tar Heels won 27–0 in front of 9,000 spectators. On November 24, 1927, the stadium was officially opened and dedicated during a game where the Tar Heels hosted the Virginia Cavaliers and won 14–13.
Kenan | |
Stadium interior in 2013 | |
Kenan Stadium Location in North Carolina Kenan Stadium Location in the United States | |
| Location | 78 Stadium Drive, Chapel Hill, NC 27514 |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 35°54′25″N 79°2′52″W |
| Owner | University of North Carolina |
| Operator | University of North Carolina |
| Capacity | 50,500 (2018–present)
Former capacity: List
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| Field size | 360 ft × 160 ft (110 m × 49 m) |
| Surface | Grass (1927–2018) RootZone 3D Blend AstroTurf (2019–present) |
| Construction | |
| Broke ground | December 1926 |
| Built | 1926–1927 |
| Opened | November 12, 1927 |
| Renovated | 1995–98, 2003, 2007, 2010–11, 2016, 2018, 2020 |
| Expanded | 1963, 1979, 1987–88, 1995–98, 2010–11 |
| Construction cost | $303,000 ($5.31 million in 2023 dollars) |
| Architect | Atwood & Nash Corley Redfoot Architects, Inc. (renovations 1987–present) |
| Structural engineer | LHC Structural Engineers (renovations 1979–present) |
| General contractor | TC Thompson & Co. |
| Tenants | |
| North Carolina Tar Heels (NCAA) Football (NCAA) (1927–present) | |
| Website | |
| goheels.com/kenanstadium | |