Water emergency forces UNC basketball game to be moved to Greensboro

Tickets for Saturdays game at the Smith Center will be honored for the newly rescheduled and relocated game, which will now be played at 1 p.m. Sunday

Christine T. Nguyen—The North State Journal
The North Carolina Tar Heels huddle before the first half of the NCAA college basketball game at the Smith Center Thursday

North Carolina’s basketball game against ACC rival Notre Dame on Saturday has been postponed until Sunday and moved from the Smith center to Greensboro Coliseum because of an ongoing water emergency in Chapel Hill. Game time will be at 1 p.m. with live television coverage on ESPN News. All operations on UNC’s campus were suspended and university employees were instructed to leave campus Friday afternoon. According to Orange County Health Director Colleen Bridger, it will take at least 24 hours before the emergency situation can be corrected and the water in Chapel Hill can be deemed safe. UNC’s scheduled home wrestling match against Virginia on Saturday has also been moved to Northwood High School in Pittsboro while the Tar Heels’ season opening men’s lacrosse game against UMBC will now be played at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, adjacent to NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium. The problem that forced the schedule changes was caused by a “major water main break” on the north side of Chapel Hill near Dobbins Drive, according to a statement issued by the Orange Water and Sewer Authority on Friday. The break has left water levels so dangerously low that further use of water could result in contamination of the entire system. Concerns over the situation has led the Town of Chapel Hill to declare an emergency. Tickets for Saturday’s game at the Smith Center will be honored for the newly rescheduled and relocated UNC-Notre Dame game Sunday in Greensboro. Those holding lower level tickets will be given access to the lower level at Greensboro Coliseum. Those with upper level tickets will have access to seats in the upper level. Student tickets will be also honored at the game on Sunday. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m.A release issued by UNC indicated that no parking passes will be honored in Greensboro. Parking will be available at the Coliseum for $10.