KENAN STADIUM RETURNS TO ITS ROOTS By Suz Trusty


On January 27, 2025, the University of North Carolina announced that Carolina Athletics was beginning “the process of converting UNC’s football field back to natural grass. Te footprint, which will include a synthetic turf perimeter, will mirror the look of Kenan Stadium’s natural grass field from 2017-2019.”


The Decision Once the University of North Carolina Head Football Coach Bill Belichick was hired in December of 2024, high-level discussion about the field surface began. Participating along with Coach Belichick and his new staff, and UNC Director of Athletics Bubba Cunningham, was UNC Assistant Athletic Director, Facilities and Turf Management, Casey Carrick. As widely reported, “Te decision to convert back to grass was made in consultation with Coach Belichick—with the best experience for the program in mind.”


Carrick says, “Coach Belichick and his staff are fans of natural grass, and their preference was to play on natural grass, so that played a really big key in the decision. But that wasn’t the only component of the decision. After six years, the synthetic turf field was reaching the end of its lifespan, so the timing was right to replace it with a return to its natural grass roots. Kenan had a grass field every year since its opening in 1927, until the switch to synthetic turf.”


And, as reported in a March 17, 2025, Te Daily Tar Hill article, “Natural grass is a safer playing surface than an artificial surface,” Carrick said. “I think the coaching staff realizes that and knows that just from their time being in football, whether it be college or NFL. So, that’s the major advantage of having a natural grass field, especially here in North Carolina where we’re really able to grow quality grass year-round.”


Te goal—UNC’s Kenan Stadium back to its roots and ready for the first on-field event. 16 TPI Turf News July/August 2025


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