Saturday afternoon's game between the Clemson Tigers and the North Carolina Tar Heels looked a lot more intriguing at the start of the season. Two legendary head coaches in Dabo Swinney and Bill Belichick facing off for the first time, and both schools with deep and long traditions within the ACC.
But fast forward to early October, and this game has lost most of its luster. Clemson is 1-3 on the season, and UNC is just 2-2 with wins over Richmond and Charlotte.
What's even funnier about this game is that, beforehand, Ludacris -- yes the rapper - is set to perform in a concert.
Here's everything you need to know about the concert ahead of Saturday's game between Clemson and UNC.
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Ludacris UNC concert details
The concert was announced on Sept. 15, as part of the school's "Chapel Thrill" concert series. Ludacris is joining artists like Chase Rice and John Stone, who have also performed for the event.
Here are the details:
- When: Saturday, Oct. 4
- Time: 10 a.m. EST
- Where: Polk Place, located on UNC's campus
The concert will take place just after the players walk into the stadium and greet fans, otherwise known as the Old Well Walk. The walk, during which players will pass through Polk Place, will begin at 9:30 a.m.
Here's more details about the concert, from UNC's official release:
Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, who has sold more than 24 million albums worldwide, will perform for Tar Heel fans at 10 a.m. in front of Wilson Library, in the heart of UNC-Chapel Hill’s campus.
Ludacris’s resume includes blockbuster singles such as “Stand Up,” “Get Back,” “Southern Hospitality,” “Number One Spot,” “Money Maker” and “My Chick Bad.” He’s added ingenious videos that demonstrate his far-reaching imagination and shown a creative willingness to stretch the boundaries of what rap videos should look and feel like.
He has also seamlessly transitioned to acting, with credits including the fan favorite role of “Tej” in Universal Pictures’ box office phenomenon “Fast & Furious” franchise. Ludacris is set to reprise his role for the eighth time in “Fast X: Part 2”, which is set to release in 2027.
Polk Place is a popular plaza on UNC's campus, which is located in front of Wilson Library. Including the Ludacris concert, the area will also host the Modelo Kickoff Club, which is free for fans to enter, and includes food and alcohol for purchase.
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Why is Ludacris performing before UNC vs. Clemson?
It's a bit unclear as to why specifically this is happening, but it appears to be UNC trying to garner both excitement and fans to the football program with its concert series.
The Tar Heels have been historically irrelevant in college football for virtually its entire existence. UNC is trying to change that in hiring Belichick, in addition to investing more money into the football program in general.
Chase Rice, who actually played for the Tar Heels' football team from 2005-08 performed the concert on Sept. 1. The concert series is put on by UNC's The Rams Club, which is the UNC athletics athletic booster club that assists with fundraising and NIL for athletes. Here's more on the club itself, via its official website:
The Rams Club is an organization made up of Tar Heels who believe in the importance of providing educational and athletic opportunities for Carolina student-athletes through a great student-athlete experience at Carolina. Through your generous gifts, you provide valuable scholarship assistance for more than 550 student-athletes to attend our great University. Additionally, you provide outstanding facilities and programming that allows all 800+ Carolina student-athletes to train, develop and compete at the highest level.
I truly hope that the UNC students appreciate seeing Luda in concert. Especially since some of them were born around the time Ludacris was putting out some of his greatest hits.
At the very least, it should be enjoyable for the adults and parents.
Why is the Ludacris concert so early?
The concert series is scheduled ahead of UNC's home games, presumably to get fans excited and fired up for the football. But since the game against Clemson was moved to the Noon kickoff window, that means a morning Ludacris concert.
Had this game been a bigger matchup, this concert could have been in the afternoon or early evening window.
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