University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Blue Zone Blitz Begins
February 5, 2010 | Football, Featured Writers, Adam Lucas
Feb. 5, 2010
By Adam Lucas
As Carolina defensive coordinator Everett Withers discussed the announcement of Wednesday's newest Tar Heel signing class, he took a moment to look ahead to the Carolina defense of 2010. With nine starters returning from a unit that led the Atlantic Coast Conference in total defense, it should be a formidable group.
And yes, Withers knows exactly what fans want from their Tar Heel defense.
"We want to be an aggressive defense," Withers said. "We want to let the players play. And I always hear that people want us to blitz more. They always ask me about it."
However, Tar Heel fans won't have to wait until the season opener in Atlanta on Sept. 4 to see the newest blitz. In fact, every Carolina fan has the opportunity to participate--starting right now--in the Blue Zone Blitz.
By now, you've already heard about the plans for the Blue Zone in the East end zone at Kenan Stadium. The old, Alamo-style field house will be bulldozed to make way for a state-of-the-art facility that will include the Student-Athlete Center for Excellence and premium seating options for football gamedays.
Fan response to the Blue Zone has been encouraging (see how you can be a part of the project). Demand for suites and the top level of club seating has exceeded expectations, creating the possibility that the facility could be built on an accelerated schedule and be ready in time for the 2011 season. Because of the needed project approvals involved and the actual construction time, that's an ambitious timeline. It's also one that would require all Blue Zone participants to indicate their intentions to participate by mid-April.
"We have seen a high level of interest and excitement for this project," says John Montgomery, Executive Director of The Rams Club. "The chance to complete this project for 2011 means we have to ratchet up that excitement. We have a small window of opportunity to accelerate this project, and we need Carolina supporters to consider a commitment now."
Speeding up the Blue Zone project would enhance football gamedays in the fall of 2011, of course. But it would also allow the athletic department to take advantage of plummeting construction costs and interest rates. Recent facility projects on other campuses have finished as much as 25 percent under the original cost.
That's important, because the Blue Zone is intended to be a revenue-producing project for the entire athletic department. Sales of premium seats will stimulate initial construction, and the longterm income from those seats will support every corner of Carolina's broad-based 28-sport program.
For that reason, the Carolina Student-Athlete Center for Excellence (of which the Blue Zone is a part) is designed to impact every student-athlete in the Carolina athletic program. Most fans never think about the day-to-day life of the students they cheer for on playing fields and courts around campus. But when--for example--Butch Davis goes on the recruiting trail, he's not just pitching what happens on game days. He's trying to make the entire student-athlete experience of being a Tar Heel sound appealing.
As anyone who has ever seen a spring day on Franklin Street can testify, it's very alluring. On signing day, numerous recruits raved about Carolina's combination of athletics, academics and social life. When they're not at a game or a practice, student-athletes are studying, training, participating in the Carolina Leadership Academy and contributing to the numerous Tar Heel outreach programs. The Center for Excellence is designed to improve every aspect of that experience.
The current academic facilities are falling dangerously close to below the bar Carolina wants to maintain for its student-athletes. Over the past decades, on-field and in-classroom results have been first-class. This project brings some of the support facilities up to that same standard.
"This project will add a much-needed academic center for all of our student-athletes," Davis said. "And it will generate long-term revenue for all of our athletic programs and will continue to modernize Kenan Stadium, one of the most beautiful stadiums in the country."
Davis has plenty to smile about lately, with a program certain to be among the nation's top 25 in 2010 preseason polls, a nationally televised spring game on April 10, and the highly anticipated season opening showdown with LSU on Sept. 4.
"Our program continues to gain momentum," he said. "That's the way you build a program that can be successful for a long period of time. The renovation of Kenan Stadium is an important step in continuing that momentum."
As he spoke, the snow was slowly melting off the Spanish-style façade of the old fieldhouse.
"I'm ready," he said, "to see a wrecking ball down there."
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of five books on Carolina basketball, including the just-released book on the 2009 national title, One Fantastic Ride. Get real-time UNC sports updates from the THM staff on Twitter.
