North Carolina converting Kenan Stadium to natural grass under Bill Belichick

It hasn’t taken long for Bill Belichick to make his mark on the North Carolina football program, and another big change is on the way for the Tar Heels in 2025.

The field at Kenan Stadium will be returning to natural grass, taking things back a few years in time.

Starting this week, North Carolina will begin converting the football field back to natural grass, according to a university press release. It will include a synthetic turf perimeter, mirroring the look of Kenan Stadium’s natural grass field from 2017-19.

Bill Belichick had a lot to do with the decision, with the choice made in consultation with the new football coach.

“With our current turf reaching the end of its lifespan, the timing made sense to return Kenan Stadium to its natural grass roots,” North Carolina athletics director Bubba Cunningham said in the press release. “Our staff takes great pride in maintaining a top-tier field that reflects the excellence of UNC Football, and we look forward to cheering on the team as it competes on a world-class natural grass surface next season.”

The project is being funded by The Rams Club and should take about 12 weeks, with a crew set to install 67,000 square feet of GameOnGrass Tahoma sod, as well as 36,000 square feet of the synthetic turf around the field’s perimeter.

The irrigation system for the field will use reclaimed water.

Bill Belichick bonus structure revealed

The contract details for coach Bill Belichick were made public last week, and he has a hefty bonus incentive structure. He can make bonuses several different ways.

Belichick can earn up to $350,000 for winning 12 games in the regular season, with that incentive structure starting at winning eight games. He can also earn $200,000 for playing in the ACC title game or $300,000 for winning it.

In the postseason, Belichick can earn further incentives. He can start at $150,000 by making a bowl game, and his incentives can climb as high as $1.75 million by winning the national championship.

There are also bonuses built in for final CFP poll ranking, postseason awards, team GPA and Academic Progress Rate (APR). You can view Bill Belichick’s complete bonus structure here.