New year, new Kenan: UNC will install individual seats in its home stadium

The North Carolina football program is no stranger to less-than-capacity home crowds – but new plans for the stadium could change that.

In February, Kenan Memorial Stadium will undergo renovations and decrease its capacity from 63,000 to about 51,000 seats by replacing the gray bleachers with blue seats with chair backs everywhere except the student section. This change was made experimentally in Sections 110 and 111 during the 2017 season and feedback was "overwhelmingly positive," according to a press release.

“We want our fans to have the best game-day experience possible and this is a fantastic next step,’’ athletic director Bubba Cunningham said in a statement. “We look forward to seeing those Carolina blue seats filled – and we’ll continue looking at every area of game day to see how we can improve even more.”

During a dismal 3-9 season, an average of 50,071 fans attended each home game. That was the second lowest total attendance under head coach Larry Fedora, ranking just below the 2015 Coastal Division Championship season, when the per-game average was 49,643.

Empty seats have been a sore spot for some players in the past. In 2015, then-junior wide receiver Bug Howard tweeted out frustrations with lack of fan support after a 48-14 win over Illinois, suggesting a men’s basketball pickup game during halftime could help sell tickets.

Now more than two years later, the shrinkage of seats will leave fewer empty chairs, putting Kenan Memorial Stadium's capacity much closer to its per-game average for the last several seasons. The cost of the project is expected to be $6 million to $6.5 million.

In order to pay for the seats and future maintenance, ticket prices will increase by $6 in 2018. UNC has also tweaked its season ticket strategy, with five new pricing options based on specific zones in the stadium. Season tickets, which vary from $150 to $375, go on sale on Friday.

"I am excited to see us continuing to work to enhance the fan experience at Kenan Stadium,” Fedora said in a statement. “I know this is something that our fans will enjoy, and I appreciate the hard work of the athletic department and our facility management staff to make this happen."

Carolina Fever PR chair Matt Fedder said he believes the changes could provide a more electric crowd atmosphere at the games next season.

“I think almost the perception of a more-filled stadium will help with the game day experience,” he said. “Just because when there are large gaps in the crowd, it just doesn't feel as good of an environment as when the stadium is full.”

Even with a smaller capacity,  UNC will likely stay in the middle of the ACC in attendance.

For context, nearby opponent Duke averaged 26,797 fans per game last season, while N.C. State reported 56,850 fans per game. Clemson and Florida State, two of the biggest fan bases in the conference, routinely have between 70 and 80,000 fans pass through their gates each game.

Fedder said he thinks the changes will make the stadium look and feel fuller, even with less fans. He doesn’t expect the crowd noise to be diminished with capacity changes, but hopes it’ll look and feel more energizing to players, fans and recruits. 

“When recruits come, they want to see a full stadium and that’s more likely to make them come (to the University),” Fedder said. “If they come (to the University), then it’s more likely that the team is better.”

@_JACKF54_

sports@dailytarheel.com