The 2026 UNC football season will be the 100th in which the Tar Heels have called Kenan Stadium home, and the program is prepared to celebrate the historic venue with several upgrades and enhancements this fall.
Two new video boards will be installed above each end zone, with both measuring 31.5 feet high by 106.5 feet wide. UNC notes this is a “notable” difference from the current boards, and that the new hardware will deliver “crisp, clear imagery with wide-angle visibility” to fans. In addition, nine LED ribbon boards will be installed around the stadium’s seating bowl.
The sound system will also be replaced, with UNC describing the new system as “state-of-the-art” and promising it will “deliver enhanced vocal clarity and wide coverage throughout the stadium.”
UNC plans to upgrade the Kenan Stadium press box with a “comprehensive” renovation, featuring updated furnishings, modernized flooring and an enhanced dining area. Graphics will be installed throughout the press box to honor the program’s history and “tell the story of Carolina football.”
“The upgraded layout will create a more functional environment for media, broadcasters and guests with the Koman Family helping make the enhancements possible,” read a release from the football program.
In another nod to the stadium’s history, UNC will honor former Tar Heel players during home games, with some participating in the Old Well Walk as well as being named honorary captains. The program also plans to feature UNC’s retired and honored jerseys more prominently around the stadium.
Additionally, the Tar Heels will also debut a new throwback uniform to honor the 1980 team, the last to win an ACC championship. That group of Tar Heels, featuring future NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, finished the season 11-1 and ranked No. 9 in the Coaches Poll. The unique stairstep UNC logo will return to the team’s helmets. The program did not specify which home game will feature the uniforms.
The university revealed a commemorative 100th season logo, which will be available on merchandise and other items during the season.
Image via UNC Athletic Communications
“We are excited to recognize 100 seasons of Kenan Stadium by honoring the program’s alumni, elevating the fan experience from pregame to postgame and enhancing our historic facility,” said Steve Newmark, UNC’s executive associate director of athletics. “As we cheer on the 2026 Tar Heels, we will also commemorate the past while continuing to build toward the future.”
The popular Chapel Thrill Concert Series, which debuted last season, will return to campus in the fall. The 2025 series featured artists such as Chase Rice, Ludacris, Collective Soul and Fitz and the Tantrums. The setup will remain the same in 2026, with each artist performing a free concert in front of Wilson Library approximately two hours before kickoff of each home game. UNC says the schedule of performers will be announced “soon.”
The 2026 season will be the program’s second under head coach Bill Belichick. The Tar Heels finished 4-8 in his debut season. For a full look at UNC’s 2026 schedule, click here.
Featured image via UNC-Chapel Hill/Jon Gardiner
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