The Golden Seat
When Nottingham Field opened in 1995 for its first football game, Vic Nottingham ’52 watched the Bears take the field from section D, row 25, seat 14, right in front of the High Plains Room.
It’s a seat that has remained his ever since.
Nottingham, a loyal and beloved Bear, co-chaired fundraising efforts to build the stadium that now carries his name.
From that day on, seats 14 and 15 in row 25 were Vic and Edye (’51) Nottingham’s seats, and they didn’t miss a game. When Vic passed away in 2014, UNC wanted to find a way to honor him — to hold a seat for him in a way that reflected his love for the Bears — so they turned Vic’s seat gold in a sea of blue.
When Edye arrived at Nottingham Field for this photograph in July, construction crews were installing the new turf before the season started. She was deeply appreciative of the gift that made the turf a reality. “Vic would be so pleased,” she said.
Yet, even as the Bears return to Nottingham for a new season, new coach and new playing surface, some game-day traditions remained the same, with Edye watching from seat 15. “I hope they just do great,” she said.
