Kenan Memorial Stadium 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 . Kenan Memorial Stadium opened in 1927 and holds 62 , 980 people . It is located in a cluster of pine trees near the center of campus at the University of North Carolina , next to the Bell Tower . Since the stadium was opened , it has been an unwritten rule that the stadium can never be taller than the surrounding pine trees . Mel Kiper , Jr . ranks Kenan Stadium as the third most scenic venue in the country for college football . History . The previous home of the Tar Heels had been Emerson Field , which had opened in 1916 on the current site of Davis Library . By 1925 , it was obvious that that 2 , 400 - seat facility was not adequate for the increasing crowds . Expansion was quickly ruled out since the baseball team also used it , and any new football seats would have been too far away for baseball . Funding for the stadium was originally supposed to come from alumni donations . William R . Kenan , Jr . , a dairy farmer from Lockport , New York who would later become a prominent businessman in Miami , got word of the initial plans and donated a large gift to build the stadium and an adjoining field house . Kenan was an 1894 UNC graduate and grandson of one of UNC ' s original trustees . He persuaded UNC to build the stadium as a memorial to his parents , William R . Kenan and Mary Hargrave Kenan . Ground was broken in November 1926 . It was completed in August 1927 . At the time , it was located on the far southern portion of campus , but expansions over the years have resulted in the stadium now being near the center of campus . The stadium officially opened on November 12 , 1927 . The Tar Heels defeated Davidson College 27 - 0 , with the first touchdown in the new stadium by Edison Foard . The first game at Kenan Stadium brought in 9 , 000 spectators . The stadium was officially dedicated to the Kenan family on Thanksgiving Day in 1927 in front of 28 , 000 fans , after the Tar Heels beat the Virginia Cavaliers 14 - 13 . The original stadium - the lower level of the current stadium ' s sideline seats - seated 24 , 000 people . However , temporary bleachers were added to the end zones to accommodate overflow crowds , allowing Kenan to accommodate over 40 , 000 people at times . This happened fairly often over the years , especially during the Choo Choo Justice era of the late 1940s . Expansions . The stadium was 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 . 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 . 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 includes 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 . The latest addition , completed in 2011 , fully enclosed the stadium for the first time in its history . This facility will house the Loudermilk Center for Student Excellence as well as 3 , 000 additional premium club and suite seating and lounge areas in the east end zone , bringing the total stadium capacity to 62 , 980 . As part of this addition , high - definition video boards were installed on each end of the stadium . Recent expansions . 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 call for a new academic support center in place of Kenan Field House , plus anywhere from 5 , 000 - 15 , 000 additional seats . The new seats will 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 will almost certainly require a fundraising effort by the Rams Club . No specific timetable has been set , but Baddour said that he hopes to begin construction within 18 months . Masterplan . This " masterplan " would be 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 is also planned . This will include 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 . Phase II and the Blue Zone . 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 will replace Kenan Field House , which was built in 1927 . The entire project will be funded by private donations and the selling of club seats and individual suites . This facility will be a combination of an academic center , " Carolina Leadership Academy " , Olympic sports ' strength and conditioning center , and visitor lockers within a span of two floors . However the most significantly visible portion of the renovation will be the addition of 2 , 980 seats , turning the stadium into a bowl . The additional seats in the end zone , named the Blue Zone , will be " 1 , 836 seats in the Concourse Club just a few feet from the field , 824 seats in the Upper Club / Loge on the fourth floor and 320 seats in 20 suites on the fifth floor " . The individual suites , each of which has 16 seats , will sell for $ 50 , 000 per year . Each seat in the club levels range from $ 750 to $ 2 , 500 per season . Furthermore the construction of a new concourse in front of the Carolina Student - Athlete Center for Excellence will allow fans to move around the entire perimeter of Kenan Stadium for the first time . The exterior of the new section will be similar in appearance to the Bell Tower .