Chapel Thrill Game Day, a fun and family-friendly event that brings together Tar Heel fans before every home football game, will return to UNC-Chapel Hill this fall.

Located in the heart of campus on Polk Place and presented by the Rams Club, the pregame party will feature a talented slate of national recording artists and performers for a free concert series featuring various genres of electronic dance music, country, alternative pop, hip-hop and rock.

“After experiencing tremendous success and receiving overwhelmingly positive fan feedback, we are thrilled to be launching Chapel Thrill Game Day 2.0 this coming football season,” said Carolina deputy athletic director/chief revenue officer Rick Barakat. “Once again, we have assembled an impressive lineup of artists, partners and sponsors — offering hospitality and entertainment options for all ages to enjoy. We remain committed to providing fun and memorable experiences before, during and after every home football game at Carolina.”

Chapel Thrill Game Day will open three hours before kickoff of every home game with performers taking the stage in front of Wilson Library beginning two hours before kickoff. Here is this year’s slate:

Diesel/O’Neal is a four-time NBA champion, 15-time NBA All-Star, 2000 NBA Most Valuable Player and a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee who played for six NBA franchises in his 19-year career. Beginning his music career in 1993, he has released five studio albums and five compilation albums and began DJ’ing during the 1980s as a student-athlete at Louisiana State University.

Rice was a linebacker on Carolina’s football team from 2005-08 and is returning to Chapel Thrill Game Day to perform for the second straight year. He was a nominee for the Academy of Country Music Awards’ New Male Vocalist of the Year in 2016 and Country Music Television Music Awards’ Digital First Performance of the Year in 2024.

This country music band from Parmelee, North Carolina, has over 1.6 billion streams as well as six Billboard No. 1 hits on its resume: “Carolina,” “Just The Way,” “Take My Name,” “Gonna Love You,” “Girl In Mine” and “Cowgirl.”

This act burst onto the scene in 2010 with its first single, “Animal,” which climbed to No. 1 on the Billboard Alternative charts and won Top Alternative Song at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards.

A four-time Black Entertainment Television Hip Hop Awards nominee, Waka Flocka Flame won an award in 2011 for  his single “No Hands.” The song reached No. 13 on the charts and received diamond certification by the Record Industry Association of America.

Since 1974, 38 Special has sold over 20 million albums and produced more than 15 albums of guitar-driven Southern rock. Known for hit songs “Hold On Loosely” and “Caught Up in You,” the band posted numerous top 40 hits on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 during the 1980s and early 1990s.

Chapel Thrill Game Day will open three hours before kickoff of each of Carolina’s six home games, beginning with the Tar Heels’ noon home opener versus East Tennessee State on Sept. 12.

In addition to the concert series, multiple fan favorites return to the event, including the Old Well Walk. Approximately two and a half hours before kickoff, Carolina’s football team will stride from the Old Well through Polk Place and around the Bell Tower to Kenan Stadium, allowing fans to cheer on the players, coaches and staff as they prepare for the game.

The Modelo Kickoff Club, located in front of the concert stage on Polk Place, will again give fans the perfect spot to grab a drink before the game. Entry into the club is free, and alcohol will be available for purchase. Food trucks will also be available in and around Polk Place along with large LED screens allowing fans of all ages and across all of campus to join the pregame fun.

Carolina will work with activation partner REVELxp to provide turnkey tailgating options on all four quads at the Bell Tower, Kenan Amphitheatre and Dorrance Field. Fans may upgrade their game day with hassle-free, full-service tailgates at some of the most scenic locations on campus by contacting REVELxp at 919-869-5486 or unc@revelxp.com. Click here for more information. REVELxp and Romeo Entertainment Group will once again be partnering with Carolina Athletics to deliver the complete entertainment solution for Chapel Thrill Game Day.

Carolina Alumni will continue to host the pregame tradition of climbing all 128 steps from the ground floor to the fourth floor of the iconic Bell Tower before home football games.

Meanwhile, the Coca-Cola Fan Zone, located in The Pit, remains a great location for fans to grab giveaways and enjoy fun activities for all ages. The area will feature kids’ activities, golf simulators, bounce houses, sponsor activations, a large LED screen and more. Also make sure to join the Carolina Drumline and the rest of the Marching Tar Heels as they perform in The Pit starting about 90 minutes before kickoff.

Pregame areas will open three hours prior to kickoff with the following timeline:

Three hours prior to kickoff

• Modelo Kickoff Club and tailgating open; Chapel Thrill DJ begins
• Coca-Cola Fan Zone opens

Two and a half hours prior to kickoff

• Old Well Walk begins

Two hours prior to kickoff

• Chapel Thrill Concert Series, presented by the Rams Club, begins in Polk Place

One and a half hours prior to kickoff

• Carolina Drumline and Marching Tar Heels perform in The Pit

One hour prior to kickoff

• Modelo Kickoff Club and Coca-Cola Fan Zone close

Fans looking for tickets at any of the Tar Heels’ six home games can visit GoHeels.com/tickets or SeatGeek, the official ticket marketplace of Carolina Athletics.