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UNC is forced to adjust schedule
Thursday night game provides challenges for both team, staff
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Published: October 20, 2009
CHAPEL HILL - The first Thursday night game at Kenan Stadium in North Carolina history has required detailed planning by at least 11 school departments and public-service agencies, a concession by a television network, and major adjustments by the football team in preparing to play.
UNC will play Florida State at 8 p.m., which will be the only major-college game that day. School officials had resisted for years requests to play a Thursday home game because of parking issues during the school week, but Holden Thorp, the UNC chancellor, and Dick Baddour, the athletics director, led the effort to clear the way.
Coach Butch Davis of UNC said that the preparations were much more involved than for a game on Saturday.
"It took an awful lot of cooperation," Davis said. "There was a lot of people that worked to make this happen. Certainly Chancellor Thorp was a major key in this because he had to make sure it wouldn't interfere with classes and the academic aspect of having the decision."
Thorp and Baddour agreed to the game because UNC will be on fall break starting on Wednesday at 5 p.m. Many students will be gone then and some parking problems eased, but that was only the first of many problems to be solved.
UNC Hospitals, the school's major medical facility, is right behind the stadium's south side. Hospital officials agreed to close their clinics at 3 p.m. to allow fans access to the nearby gates and to prevent patients from getting caught in traffic.
The UNC Human Resources department agreed that the school work day for all employees would end at 3, two hours earlier than normal. ESPN agreed to an 8 p.m. kickoff, roughly 15 to 30 minutes later than normal for its Thursday games, to allow fans adequate time to get to the stadium.
The UNC Department of Public Safety had to devise a plan for parking and transit that would allow permitted lots to open at 5:30.
The town of Chapel Hill agreed to continue normal bus schedules, despite the school's fall break.
UNC officials worked with the Chapel Hill police department, the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the N.C Highway Patrol on plans to handle an expected heavy flow of traffic. Portable electric signs have been in place for more than a week on roads and streets near the stadium alerting drivers to the game and warning of possible traffic jams.
"The tremendous cooperation of the different departments and groups on our campus that continue to collaborate and assist in making this Thursday night game become a reality has been nothing short of phenomenal," Larry Gallo, a senior associate athletics director, said.
Davis' team had to adjust its practice schedule. UNC did not play last Saturday, which did allow Davis to alter preparations to his liking.
The team practiced on Sunday, which is normally an off day after a Saturday game.
Davis is confident that the game, and all of its logistical headaches, will enhance recruiting and provide much-needed national coverage, win or lose.
"I think it will be a great atmosphere," Davis said. "It's something that's never happened here before. There's a lot of things still left to do in building and growing this football program. This is one of several steps that have to take place, but this will be a good one."
The UNC players are enthusiastic about the game. Most watched Thursday night games on television when playing in high school and were hopeful of playing in one in their college careers.
"It's a special feeling," Kendric Burney, a cornerback, said. "It's a feeling that you can't explain. You get to play under the lights. It's the first time ever here.
"We're making history."
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