North Carolina is bringing back Chapel Thrill Gameday for a second straight season, and the opening act is a big one: DJ Diesel, the DJ persona of Shaquille O’Neal, will headline the pregame concert before Carolina Football’s home opener against ETSU on Saturday, Sept. 12.
The free concert is set for 10 a.m., with the pregame party opening at 9 a.m. in Polk Place, directly in front of Wilson Library in the middle of campus.
O’Neal’s résumé goes well beyond the turntables. Known as DJ Diesel, he is a four-time NBA champion, 15-time NBA All-Star, the 2000 NBA Most Valuable Player and a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.
He played for six NBA franchises across a 19-year career. He began DJ’ing in the 1980s as a student-athlete at LSU, launched his music career in 1993 and has released five studio albums and five compilation albums.
“The return of Chapel Thrill Game Day will feature many exciting upgrades and new additions this season,” said UNC Deputy Athletic Director/CRO Rick Barakat. “Hosting DJ Diesel as our first artist sets the tone for the season. He has a tremendous personality and is an incredible talent that I know our fans will enjoy.”
The concert series, presented by The Rams Club, is just one part of the game-day setup. The Old Well Walk is back, too, with the football team scheduled to leave the Old Well at about 9:30 a.m., pass through Polk Place and circle the Bell Tower on the way to Kenan Stadium. Fans will again line the route to cheer on the players, coaches and staff.
The Modelo Kickoff Club will also return in front of the concert stage. Entry is free, alcohol will be available for purchase, and the area is meant as a social spot for fans before kickoff. Food trucks will be set up in and around Polk Place, and large LED screens will be in place so fans of all ages can follow along from across campus.
UNC is also teaming with activation partner REVELxp to offer turnkey tailgating on all four quads at the Bell Tower, Kenan Amphitheatre and Dorrance Field. Fans can book full-service tailgates by contacting REVELxp at 919-869-5486 or unc@revelxp.com. REVELxp and Romeo Entertainment Group will again help deliver the full entertainment setup for Chapel Thrill Gameday.
Carolina Alumni will keep its tradition of climbing all 128 steps from the ground floor to the fourth floor of the Bell Tower before home games.
In The Pit, the Coca-Cola Fan Zone will offer giveaways and activities for all ages, including kids’ activities, golf simulators, bounce houses, sponsor activations and a large LED screen. The UNC Drumline and the rest of the Marching Tar Heels will also perform there about 90 minutes before kickoff.
The pregame schedule for home games is set to start three hours before kickoff, with the Modelo Kickoff Club and tailgating opening and the Chapel Thrill DJ beginning at that point, along with the opening of the Coca-Cola Fan Zone. The Old Well Walk starts two and a half hours before kickoff, followed by the Chapel Thrill Concert Series in Polk Place two hours before kickoff. The UNC Drumline and Marching Tar Heels perform in The Pit with one and a half hours to go, and both the Modelo Kickoff Club and Coca-Cola Fan Zone close one hour before kickoff.
The rest of the Chapel Thrill Concert Series schedule includes Chase Rice for Oct. 3 against Notre Dame, Parmalee for Oct. 24 against Syracuse, Neon Trees for Oct. 31 against Miami and Waka Flocka Flame for Nov. 14 against Louisville.
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