Sellout Crowd Expected for Duke-UNC Football Game

As the Duke football team prepares to host rival University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill this Thursday, officials are warning of heavy traffic congestion and urging fans converging on West Campus to carpool or ride a shuttle.

Parking in the core of campus will be highly constrained as traffic around campus picks up in the late afternoon and almost 34,000 fans pack Wallace Wade Stadium for the nationally televised game on ESPN.

Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m., and campus parking lots and shuttles will open to the public at 5:30 p.m. Triangle Transit buses serving stops on-and-around campus will be impacted by traffic and detours and delays are expected.

“To help ensure a positive game day experience, we ask for your patience, understanding and assistance,” said Kyle Cavanaugh, vice president for administration. “The game represents a special opportunity for Duke, and we encourage all members of the community to attend the game to support the Duke Football program and our student-athletes, coaches and staff.“

For Duke faculty and staff planning to attend the game, discounted tickets are available for $10 off a reserved seat ticket by calling the Duke Athletics Ticket Office at (919) 681-2583 or visiting the office in the Cameron Indoor Stadium lobby.

Whether in attendance at the game or not, Duke community members are encouraged to show Duke pride on Thursday by wearing Duke blue clothing as a sign of campus unity. Students and employees can share images of outfits on Twitter and Instagram with #OurBlueIsBest. The first 20,000 fans arriving at the game will get a commemorative “Primetime at Wallace Wade” towel emblazoned with the hashtag.

"Our student-athletes feed off the energy provided by the great Duke fans," said Larry Moneta, vice president for student affairs and a regular at Duke home games. "The more animated, spirited and louder we are, the better the team performs. So, when we beat UNC, we all beat UNC!"

On game day, fans traveling to West Campus are encouraged to follow these directions for recommended ingress routes. Motorists should use Erwin Road to access public parking lots, which cost $10 cash per vehicle. Duke University Road will be accessible for Iron Duke permit holders only.

Motorists can also use this map, which shows all traffic routes and parking options. Once on campus, this map provides detailed pedestrian routes and estimated walk times from parking locations to Wallace Wade Stadium.

Duke is coordinating with UNC to provide shuttle service between remote lots to reduce the demand on parking and reduce traffic congestion.

Additional parking will be available beginning at 5:30 p.m. at the American Tobacco Campus South Deck on Jackie Robinson Drive and The Church of the Good Shepard on Garrett Road, with shuttle service from each location to campus running from 5:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m.

As a way to best prepare fans for the Duke-UNC game, Duke Athletics has a special “A-Z” guide with a variety of information, from alcohol policies and where to find ATMs to parking and “zero waste” initiatives.