UNC Campus Connections

Complete coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels Campus Connections.

Eric Church Uses His Guitar To Deliver Powerful Commencement Speech At UNC

UNC-Chapel Hill held its 2026 graduation ceremony, and the commencement address was delivered by North Carolina native and diehard Tar Heel fan Eric Church. And it was unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Church, of course, found a way to put his own – musical – spin on the graduation speech, and broke out his guitar to deliver some powerful lessons. (Whiskey Riff)

Carolina Performing Arts Unveils Multi-Day Performance Festival for ‘Campus and Downtown’

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and, in our modern society, many people are struggling with loneliness and finding connection with others. Alison Friedman, the Executive and Artistic Director for Carolina Performing Arts, says helping address that is at the core of her department’s new festival - called “All. Together. Now.” - unveiled on Tuesday. (Chapelboro.com)

Play-by-Play Class in UNC’s Journalism School Wraps Up Debut Semester

Listeners of 97.9 The Hill know Matt Krause as the voice of UNC women’s basketball. The most recent season was Krause’s eighth behind the mic. But this past spring, a group of UNC students knew Krause for a different reason: he was their class instructor. Krause taught Sports Commentary and Play-by-Play in UNC’s School of Journalism and Media. (Chapelboro.com)

Newly Minted Carolina Alumni Celebrate at Commencement

Country musician and North Carolina native Eric Church delivered the commencement address with his six-string in hand, complemented by a guitar strap featuring an interlocking N.C. He received an honorary degree, an honor recommended by the faculty and approved by the Board of Trustees. Church used the guitar’s strings as metaphors for life. (Carolina Alumni Review)

UNC’s App Redesign Drives Student Engagement

What was once an underused mobile app at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has been rebuilt to serve as a central hub for student information and services. The app, Hello Heels, was relaunched during first-year orientation last fall after undergoing a redesign following input from students through advisory boards, focus groups and surveys. (Inside Higher Ed)

What's the difference between each UNC merch shop on Franklin Street?

Franklin Street is lined with restaurants, coffee shops and to a large extent, apparel stores. But as a student and longtime University of North Carolina fan, I rarely step foot in these shops because my closet is already overflowing with merchandise. Yet, there are still so many apparel stores, leaving one to wonder — what distinguishes each from the other? (Daily Tar Heel)

Eric Church delivers 'greatest commencement speech ever' in viral address to UNC graduates

Country music star Eric Church earned praise for delivering the "greatest" commencement speech with his now-viral address to UNC graduates, after working on the piece for nearly a year. Church, armed with a Tar Heel-emblazoned guitar, dedicated his oration by giving a lesson on the instrument, explaining what each of the "six strings" means. (New York Post)

Lucas: Eric Church delivers a Commencement to remember

Graduation is a fabulous time for highly accomplished strangers to deliver heartfelt and transformative advice. They stop in for the weekend, go to a couple of cocktail receptions, wear a fancy robe, and leave and go back to their lives. That’s not how Carolina handled 2026 Commencement. Instead, graduating Tar Heels heard from Eric Church. (UNC.edu)

Savannah Bananas At Kenan Stadium Generate $17.1 Million In Economic Impact

The Savannah Bananas' appearance at UNC's Kenan Stadium generated more than $17.1 million in direct economic impact for the town of Chapel Hill and the surrounding region. The two-day, two-game event, which saw UNC transform its football field into a baseball spectacle April 11-12, hosted more than 100,000 fans, boosting to the local economy. (GoHeels.com)

Video: Eric Church 2026 UNC Spring Commencement Address

UNC's newest alumni and their guests heard from country music star, North Carolina native, and lifelong Tar Heel fan Eric Church at Carolina's spring Commencement ceremony at Kenan Stadium on Saturday May 9, 2026. Church delivered his keynote address with a special surprise at the end. (View Video)

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