'A long time coming': UNC football prepares to open the season Sept. 12

What once seemed unlikely is now set to happen in less than two weeks: the North Carolina football team hosting a regular season game in Kenan Memorial Stadium. 

On Sept. 12, the Tar Heels are slated to take the field against Syracuse to kick off their season, albeit without the traditional game day festivities of in-person attendance and tailgating that have signified Saturdays in the fall at Kenan since its opening in 1927. Head coach Mack Brown held a virtual press conference Monday to answer questions as the start of the season draws near. 

“You can tell the guys are excited about a game and excited about something coming up in the future that’s fun,” Brown said. “It’s been a long time coming, but they can feel now that we’re heading that way.”

The UNC athletics department announced on Friday that there will be no fans allowed in Kenan Stadium on game days through at least September. The decision prevents fans from attending the opening game against the Orange and a week two match up against Charlotte. Brown, now entering the second season of his new tenure in Chapel Hill, said the team will have to adjust to playing without a crowd. 

“I applaud our fans, I apologize to you that you won't be at the games,” Brown said. “We’re going to have to bring our own energy, but we know our fans will be at home screaming at the TV.” 

Brown noted some of the other adjustments the Tar Heels will have to make on the sidelines during games to follow COVID-19 guidelines. 

“During the game you don’t have to wear the mask, during the game you don’t have to wear your lower shield,” Brown said. “But when you come off the field we’re going to require you to either have a helmet on or we’re going to require you to wear a mask.”

During a team scrimmage on Saturday, Brown said the Tar Heels had some difficulties adjusting to the new coronavirus protocols when making substitutions, but the absence of crowd noise should make communication easier come game day. 

“Guys are scattered out a lot more than you normally would, you’ve got masks on, it’s harder to hear,” Brown said. “We’re all having to look at making sure that our substitutions are keeping attention, staying close enough but social distancing.”

Brown said he and his staff have prepared for the possibility of players missing games due to positive coronavirus tests, but postponements and cancellations will be left to health officials. 

“If the doctor thinks it's not safe then we wouldn’t play,” Brown said. “But if we’ve got enough guys that are healthy enough to play — it doesn’t matter who they are — and make the game safe, then we should play. Even if we’re at a true disadvantage that some of our best players aren’t playing, that should not determine whether we play or not.” 

UNC has already experienced two stoppages along the way in preparing for the season due to COVID-19 trends on campus, the first starting on July 8, when 37 positive tests were identified within the UNC athletics department. More recently, the team canceled practice from Aug. 19 until Aug. 24 after multiple clusters were reported among students. Both times the team returned to action, and the plan to play football this fall remained intact.

"We're just trying to make sure that they understand that they know what contact tracing is and that they need to wear their mask," Brown said. "A lot of them don't like wearing their mask but we're getting more used to it I think. It's more the normal for them now." 

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