Sports

North Carolina will play in its 4th consecutive bowl game later today. The Tar Heels take on Missouri in the Independence Bowl.

The last 18 months have seen major changes to North Carolina’s football program. And the state of transition will last one more game, as interim coach Everett Withers coaches the team despite the hiring of a new head coach.

Larry Fedora was chosen to lead the program, but Withers will coach the team at the Independence Bowl. Withers was a candidate for the permanent job, but didn’t get it.

Raleigh’s largest sports and indoor concert venue is getting a new name. The RBC Center will be called the PNC Arena.

Like dozens of arena renamings before it, this one comes because of a corporate takeover. Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial Services bought Canadian-based RBC Bank for $3.45 billion back in June. The deal is subject to regulatory approval.

The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill introduced its new head football coach today. Larry Fedora signed a seven-year contract with the school worth $1.7 million per season. UNC fired coach Butch Davis at the start of this season.

Recent warm weather has not stopped ice skaters from hitting a rink in Graham. The synthetic surface at the Children's Museum of Alamance County does not rely on cold weather or freezing water. Carlyn Sautter works for Graham Parks and Recreation.

Carlyn Sautter: "It is not ice, its actually a very dense polymer. But it skates like ice, it actually looks like ice, so you kind of feel like you're on ice when you're out there. You do use real ice skates so it gives it that added effect as well."