page_title: Kenan Memorial Stadium
section_title: Renovations and expansions
hierarchical_section_title: Kenan Memorial Stadium / Renovations and expansions
caption_attribution_description: English: Frank Kenan Football Center
context_page_description: Kenan Memorial Stadium is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina and is the home field of the North Carolina Tar Heels. It is primarily used for football. The stadium opened in 1927 and holds 50,500 people. It is located near the center of campus at the University of North Carolina.
context_section_description: The stadium was first expanded in 1963, when Kenan (who died in 1965) donated $1 million to double-deck the sideline seats and add permanent bleachers to the end zones, expanding capacity to 48,000.  A seating adjustment in 1979 boosted capacity to 50,000.  In 1988, the old press box and chancellor's box were replaced by 2,000 seats between the 40-yard lines, expanding capacity to 52,000.
  Part of the 1987-88 project were a permanent lighting system, a chancellor's lounge on the north side of the field and a football lettermen's lounge on the south side. The lights are part of a General Electric low-mount system which minimizes the height of the lightpoles. Cost of the entire project was $7 million. It was funded by private gifts and bonds.
  The stadium's biggest renovation project to date took place from 1995 to 1998.  Head coach Mack Brown wanted a better facility to showcase a resurgent football program, which had gone from consecutive 1-10 seasons in 1988 and 1989 to a run of success not approached since the 1940s. The stadium was lacking in many areas. For instance, Kenan was one of the few Division I stadiums not to have permanent seating in at least one end zone; the only end zone seats at the time were the portable bleachers added in 1963.  Also, the locker rooms were somewhat cramped by 1990s standards.
  Several generous gifts resulted in the addition of a new playing field and a brand-new facility for the football team, the Frank H. Kenan Football Center, named for the great-grandson of the stadium's original benefactor.  The Kenan Center included a memorabilia section showcasing the football program's history. The most visible addition, however, was 8,000 new seats in the west end zone, which turned the stadium into a horseshoe.  Also added was a "preferred seating box" atop the north stands.  Due to state law, only 6,000 of the new end zone seats were available in 1997.  Capacity dropped to 48,500 in 1996, but leaped to 57,800 in 1997.  The other 2,200 seats were added in 1998, bringing the stadium to a capacity of 60,000, not eclipsed until the 2011 season. In 2003, a modern scoreboard with video capability was added in front of Kenan Field House. The next addition came before the 2007 season, when the old matrix boards on the sidelines were replaced with ribbon boards.
  In December 2006, the Chapel Hill Town Council approved changes to UNC's development plan that included at least 8,800 additional seats for Kenan Stadium.
  In October 2007, athletic director Dick Baddour announced plans for extensive renovations to Kenan Stadium.  Plans called for a new academic support center in place of Kenan Field House, plus anywhere from 5,000 to 15,000 additional seats.  The new seats would be added in the east end zone, turning the stadium into a bowl.  Plans would have to be approved by the chancellor and the board of trustees, and would almost certainly require a fundraising effort by the Rams Club.  No specific timetable was set, but Baddour said that he hoped to begin construction within 18 months.
  This "masterplan" was divided into two phases; phase one covering the west end zone and two covering the east end zone.  The first phase consisted of adding a fifth floor (for recruiting and media space) along with remodeling the existing offices and team spaces in the Kenan Football Center.  Approved on July 23, 2008, by the Board of Trustees for $50 million, Phase I renovations were completed on August for the 2009 Football Season.
  A third and final phase of the project was also planned. This includes new club-level seats around the perimeter of the stadium, a new suite level above the club seats, a much larger press box, and a brick facade encircling the outside of the stadium. Construction of this phase has not been scheduled, however, due to budgetary constraints.
  On May 27, 2010, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Board of Trustees approved the immediate commencement on construction of the "Carolina Student-Athlete Center for Excellence", a $70 million expansion that would replace Kenan Field House. The en
caption: The West End Zone addition in 1998 created a horseshoe.
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